In the movie the Shawshank Redemption they talk about being institutionalized -the cons are in jail for so long that they come to depend on it and can't make it on the outside. In reflecting on my sales career over the past 23 years, I realized that I am institutionalized to some extent. I have worked all 23 years since college graduation in corp America - no breaks in employment in between...straight through. I am glad and it's worked out well but at the same time, I am a little like the cons in that movie, I am not really sure what life is like outside of corp America and that is a little unsettling. Yes, I lead a balanced life and my work is only a portion of my total life, but that portion has been inside corp America. So now what? Now that I am leaving corp America and my sales career behind, what now? I guess Andy Dufrasne said it best "get busy living or get busy dying."
Corporate America is over-rated! You will see!
ReplyDeleteIt can be daunting to figure out who you are, when you aren't [insert job title here], because for so long, [job title] is how society has defined your value. But by leaving to go cruising, you are headed *toward* something, not running *away from* something. A wish for you: a year from now, when you're living on your boat somewhere warm and beautiful, your life will be so full, you'll look back on this blog post and shake your head, and wonder why you ever felt this (completely normal) anxiety. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks. I know your words to be true. It's just such a weird feeling. It's helpful to hear from those of you that have gone before us.
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