We Are Only One Decision From a Totally Different Life

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I was driving home from a party yesterday afternoon and saw a truck with a big American flag driving on the freeway. I asked my wife what's the occasion? She said September 11. She reminded me that I've been off my W2 for exactly 7 years.

Around April 2009, I was polling my family and wife's family about me quitting my job. Both of us have a decent size family with 5 siblings on my side and 6 siblings on her side. As expected the responses were overwhelmingly negative. Almost everyone thought I was nuts. This is 2009 when the sky was falling and everyone was getting laid off. Those, who still had a job, was working to death in fear of getting laid off. Here I was, wanted to do just the opposite in pursuit of my dreams. Thankfully, wife supported my decision.

By July, I planned for my exit and wanted to make it a memorial one. September 11, 2009 happened to fall on a Friday. So much memory came back when I looked at this date on the calendar. I remember vividly what I was doing and where I was when our country was under attacked on 9/11/2001.

On my last day at work, I felt liberated. However, I had mixed feelings on my drive home. On one hand, a huge burden had been lifted off my shoulder. OTOH, I was nervous and scared. What if scenarios were running through my head. 

Long story short, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life. Not only have I replaced my low 6-figures salary, I have also accumulated a decent size real estate portfolio in the Bay Area....a tough task by many standards. It has been one of the best 7 years of my life. It's easy to look back now and smile, but the decision was an extremely difficult one at the time.

If you have Sunday syndrome, I know how you feel. I used to feel that way on Sunday afternoon. Feeling nervous and occasionally sweaty palms thinking of going back to work tomorrow? Well, you're only one decision away from having a totally different life. As Albert Einstein wisely said "A ship is always safe at the shore, but that is NOT what it is built for."

Best of luck.