So in the middle of June I will be going on 3 years of voluntarily not having any sort of steady employment. Its gone by fast. I've enjoyed the last 3 years of my life like I did when I was 15 years old. I go to sleep when I want, wake when I want, and do things on my schedule. Its fucking amazing how much life a job sucks from you.
I worked in Mental Health for over a decade. It always amazed me that most therapists knew the keys to a happy life, but most didn't have the ability to put them in action themselves. We would tell clients things, with 100% intentions to help, then not follow our own advice. Its drilled into all of us at a young age and we are no different, despite realizing the destruction certain flawed thought processes have.
I was relatively happy at my job, but logically I was giving up way more than I was getting back. I was giving my time, my energy, my freedom for a buck. I had a decent middle class life, yet somehow, I was absolutely miserable. Things don't change unless YOU change them so I decided to take a huge leap and make a bold move. With a little over 1k in the bank, no second income, and no fucking clue, I typed out my 2-week notice.
I am richer now than I ever have been, not monetarily, but in happiness. I had become a depressed robot. No one was making me go to work however, besides my little scared self. I would bitch about the structure of this country, then participate in it of my own free will. I had false beliefs that no job meant hunger and starvation. That boogeyman is so scary, but entirely imaginary. To feel energized, to have enthusiasm, to feel rested, to have a flare for life, to explore this world free from fear or failure. These things are truly priceless.
I hope everyone gets a chance to experience this “centering” at some point in their lives. It will only make sense once you make moves that involve being closer to who you REALLY are, not who you are told to be.