Pushing the ‘Reset’ Button: Starting Over

Back in 2009, I was asked by a panelist in a job interview, “How long do you intend to work for the company?” Without giving it much thought and not realizing how powerful the words we utter can be, I answered, “Five years.”

It would have been my fifth anniversary in July, but today, the ominous Friday the 13th, is my last day at work.

I’d rather not bore you with the details on why I willfully chose to leave the company I’ve always wanted to be part of since childhood, but let me tell you that in this life of endless decision-making, you owe it to yourself to take the risk of letting go to welcome greater opportunities and to achieve your ultimate purpose of being the best version of yourself. If you no longer approve of the person you are becoming as you battle it out daily, and the objectives of your job and the company you work for are not in parallel with your principles and values, then it is time to throw in the towel and move on.

That being said, I am closing this chapter with a grateful heart. The friends I gained throughout my stay are treasures I hold close to my heart. I am offering up to the Lord all my accomplishments and the hard work I put in through the years. The whole experience was a test of my strength and character, and I can say I stood true to myself and I came out of it victorious, ready to face new challenges in life.

Make a pact with yourself today to not be defined by your past. Sometimes the greatest thing to come out of all your hard work isn’t what you get for it, but what you become for it. Shake things up today! Be You…Be Free…Share.

— Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

“What’s next?” you might ask. I am going back to school to kickoff a new adventure. Cooking school that is. Yes, I’m heading toward the culinary track.

From the media industry to food business is a big leap and a lot of factors, especially my age, were taken into consideration before I decided to go on with it. Next year, I’ll be 30. It is a fact I have to deal with and I am going to prove that one is never too old, never too late, to build new dreams and work hard to attain it.

I feel truly graced by the overflowing goodness of God that I am given this second chance to improve myself, learn something new and share it with others. In return, I’ll work the hardest to be the chef or foodie or connoisseur that I am destined to be.