One Year Later

A year ago today I broke up with my job. I took a leap of faith, one that started with me jumping out of a plane and continued with me leaping into life time after time from there.

Since last year I took on my new job with all the zeal I possibly could. I took to heart what my old boss had told me and I shined. I commuted from the suburbs to Chicago and Larabee five days a week. It meant a lot of complications and giving up my weekends but I did it. I worked my ass off and chased a position that would give me back my weekends. And I got it.

I networked, I threw myself into being good at what I did and I took every opportunity that came my way. I was offered a position in the Sales Department and I took it. It was a risk, I never worked in Sales. But I trusted what other people  thought I was capable of and I trusted myself. I trusted that I could accomplish anything I wanted to. So I did it and I couldn’t love it more.

My job has been good to me.

And then three months after starting my job I moved to Chicago. For a man used to   spontaneity and just winging things a planned move was one of the greatest stresses I could have stomached. I over planned. I panicked. I probably came across as a crazy person to the people I was going to live with. At the time I was only three months into my new job and there were so many uncertainties. It was a risk that I thought through over and over. What if things fell through with my job? What if the city wasn’t for me? But I trusted that my friends in the city and that trust was well placed. I was welcomed in warmly to a new circle of amazing and creative people.

My friends have been good to me.

The city that I worried about living in now I can’t imagine living without. I date more now than I ever have in my life. I see amazing theatrical productions, hilarious comedy shows, I eat better than I ever have and the number of people available for me to meet and to enjoy are mind boggling. I used to think I was a creative person, and I still do, but I’m humbled by the amount of talented, interesting and brilliant people I get the privilege of interacting with.

My City has been good to me.

Of course not everything was perfect. Some risks regardless of the reward come with consequences. Choosing the new job came with an initial pay cut, and it wasn’t a small amount. Things were a bit tight in the beginning. I had less money to spend, expenses with the commute to pay for and a move to save up for. Dating more of course comes with its own complications but they’re nothing beyond the norm. I let the gym work slip for about seven months and that means gaining back about twenty pounds that I worked hard to drop. Moving has put a great deal of distance between me and my family. The move alone stirred up a lot of stresses that were buried there and things were said that needed to be said regardless of how hard they were. I learned that not all friendships last forever. You have to share your time with the ones you truly value because time and commitment is how you honor your friends. They can’t be put on hold with the hopes that they’ll still appreciate you while you choose other ways to spend your time than with them. But I’m better for hardships. I’ve taken so much from each of them and I wouldn’t change a thing.

From here what do I do? I live. I keep on enjoying, I keep on achieving and I keep on caring about new friends and loving my city.

Life has been good to me. My a approach has taken me this far and I cherish every step, every risk, every failure and every success. I’m happy so far. How are you doing?