You read stories about heroes and one theme you ALWAYS see in those stories is the theme of freedom.

Most heroic stories revolve around the obtainment of freedom.

Think back throughout all the heroes in history and today and you’ll see this in play in one form or another.

Now, in this day and age, for the average individual, there is a silent battle for freedom going on as well. A battle that I think more and more people are choosing to fight as I sense a tide turning throughout the consciousness of mankind where we turn away from the pursuit of money via the illusion of safety toward the pursuit of freedom, because it’s with that freedom that we can not only enjoy our life, but also choose how to best serve our fellow man.

It’s not worth it to spend 60+ hours a week to earn money at a job you hate, but get stressed out as a result and have little to no leisure time for yourself, no time to just relax, no time to introspect, no time to really see how you as an individual, with all your talents and abilities, can serve your fellow human being and a higher purpose outside yourself as well.

Anybody can make more money. Nobody can really make more time unless they make certain choices in their lives.

This all brings us to the all too familiar scenario.

A person who hates their job.

REALLY hates it.

Sick to their stomach whenever they go to work. Can’t enjoy Sunday because they know what Monday brings. Feels burned out all the time.

But alas, they don’t quit.

Why?

The reasons are many.

Need the money. Too afraid to quit. Want to save face in front of people they know. Have no idea what to do to make money if they do decide to quit, etc.

So they remain stuck. Bound by the chains of their choices. Doomed to live lives of quiet desperation.

Until one day, they come to a point where enough is enough.

Until one day, where they decide they can’t stand it anymore.

Until one day, they summon up the strength to raise their arms in one swift, bold action and break the chains that have enslaved them for so long.

That day has come for the person you’re about to read about.

I know because he emailed me recently about how he read my articles and found the courage to quit his job.

I found his story fascinating so I asked him if he would be willing to share his story with the world and he agreed.

Like for all reader success stories, I sent him a list of questions to better help frame his story so that everyone reading it would be able to benefit from it. I want to thank Red for taking the time to answer his questions and to allow his story to be heard. I really appreciate it.

What you’re about to read is a story of freedom in the modern age, a story about a man who found the courage to quit and break the chains that have held him for 25 years. I very much enjoyed and benefited from reading his story and I know you will too.

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1. Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself?

Just call me Red, I am 48 years old, married. I am blessed with 2 kids, my eldest is a girl who works with Philippine Airlines as a Flight Attendant and my youngest is a 15 year old boy, a student. I am a Certified Public Accountant by profession and have served the industry of accountancy, finance and audit for over 25 years. I am a gym buff and love weight training so much. It has been my passion for almost 6 years now.

2. You mentioned that you found this site when you were desperate about quitting your job. Can you help us understand what you were going through with that job, why it was so bad, so we can see where you were coming from?

I have been dreading to report for work for the past 25 years. Yes Brian, for the past 25 years. Though, I changed jobs every five years thinking that grass is greener on the other side, I was wrong. I just changed companies but never the job, same accounting, finance and audit jobs, all cubicle jobs. So, the grinding has always been in my nose.

I would say that my girlfriend then played a great influence why I took up accountancy in the first place. Luckily (if you may call it lucky), after 4 years in college, I passed the CPA Board Examination and the rest was history.

As Head of the Internal Audit Department in one of the leading companies here in the Philippines, I have been faced with voluminous paper works day in and day out, all the along with analysis here and there, computations and report writing here and there. They suck! Not to mention the regular meetings I have with my bosses and difficult peers. Wow! This is not me, this is not Red.

Until one day, and that was 3 months ago as of this writing, I was surfing the internet, so desperate about my situation. I was then searching for articles that will somehow tell me what I was going through. A material that will tell me I am not alone, that I have to do something. It was then I read a lot about job burnouts, jobs that suck, and other write ups relative to my situation. Heaven heard my prayers, by chance, I encountered the blogs of Alexander Kjerulf and finally, of BRIAN KIM.

3. You found the courage to quit your job, something that most people don’t have. Can you share with us what gave you the courage to do so and what the “tipping point” was that finally got you go to through with it, instead of just think about it?

I accepted the fact that I am a square peg in a round hole. Acceptance is the key. Then, I allowed the misery to penetrate in all my senses, into my nerve, in my most inner being, in all the corners of my subconscious mind. Then, I made the ultimate decision, QUIT. 4. What will you be doing for a living now?

I have been into NETWORK MARKETING that is engaged in promoting and selling food supplement called FIRST VITA PLUS. I was able to form my sales force (now I have 4 people) one week after I formally tendered my resignation. I have been earning weekly, though not so big in amount YET, through building my own sales network. On the side, I work as a physical trainer who teaches a number of gym buffs on the importance of proper form and nutrition in weight training. I am being paid by the hour. I will also teach in college this coming school year (June 2010 to 2011) on a part time basis and will be paid by the hour. In other words, I made my PASSION to be the source of my income.

5. How did you come about deciding to do that?

I have been bothered by my gut that I have reached my quitting point. It screams at me every time I was alone inside my cubicle in the form of anxiety, back ache and depression. Until one day I asked my self “is this the essence of living” to be dreadful all the time? To be anxious? To feel miserable? I love life, I love freedom and this is not I am designed to be. So, I talked to my superior about how the job has been eating me, and told him my plan of quitting. My boss understood and accepted my resignation. Then, it was only then I felt relieved…Oh God thank you for this gift of life. That was the thing I remembered next, thanked God.

6. How does it feel to quit that job that made you so miserable?

It feels great! I became free, I will be having all the time in the world to do weight training, to prepare my meal, to walk by the beach, to brew my coffee and enjoy its aroma, to do my gardening and to appreciate life once more. I regained my self worth and told myself, “I AM NOW A NEW BORN BABY!”. I will be enjoying again the most important gift on earth they call “LIFE”.

7. What kind of advice would you give to those who hate their jobs but are too afraid to quit?

Quit! Believe me, if you quit now you will tell yourself “Wish I did it sooner”. Give up that pay check to pay check mentality. Do you know what will it cost you to stay in a job that sucks? Well, it is only your health, your relationships, and ultimately, your LIFE….Expensive? Then, quit now.

8. What kind of advice would you give to those who have quit their jobs, but have no idea what to do for work instead?

Live a simple life, network and start your business. A lot of multi-level marketing is in place right now. In the Philippines you have a lot to choose from. Better, do your passion, if you love weight training, be a personal trainer, if you love public speaking then be a teacher, public speaker or religious leader. If you love writing, then blog. Invest on yourself, on your interest.

9. What have you learned on your journey so far?

Life is a matter of choice. For those of you who have been miserable about their job, make a decision now. It will not matter whether you will be making the right decision, what will matter the most is how you will make that decision the right decision after, but first, you have to decide. On the other hand, if you choose to be miserable, then it is your call, stay! YUCKS!!

10. Any last pieces of advice you want to give to motivate and inspire others to go for their goals and dreams?

We cruise this earth only once. Let us not waste our time doing something we do not enjoy. Life is too short. Unless one is sure to die tomorrow, it is never too late to change job, change partner (if you are single) and change hobbies. Nobody is too young or too old to be happy. Prolonged loneliness is a matter of choice, same thing with happiness. One has to make a stand on where he or she will excel. Maintain your own orbit, maintain your own individuality. I would not say “good luck” but rather, “make luck” you have the choices in life, pick the best choice and make your best shot.. Bye for now.

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I want to thank Red so very much for taking the time to do this. I really appreciate it!

Just to add a quick note to this story, if you were wondering what article he read that triggered this change, it was Why So Many People Are In Jobs They Hate (he cited it in his initial email to me)

I absolutely LOVE reader success stories like this because I know it’s something that a lot of people will be able to relate to, in terms of hating their jobs, and I know a story like this will most often be that extra push that gets people to make the ultimate decision like Red did and quit.

I like this story because it shows a beginning, a middle and not an end, but a NEW beginning, one that’s fresh, exciting, full of promise and hope, and can only get better.

Most people paint the scenario of quitting in their head, but fear what the future of that will be but stories like Red will help alleviate that fear and stimulate creativity.

Now let’s highlight some of his many interesting points.

His answer to question 3 of what got him to actually go through with quitting his job is full of treasure. In a nutshell, it was acceptance, and getting himself to hit a tipping point by letting the misery in deep.

Very, very interesting and great food for thought.

Acceptance that you’re not fit for this is a step that many people don’t want to take. Their best defense mechanism for this is rationalization. They tell themselves they need a job to pay the bills, everyone has a job, etc.

If you keep on running around in circles about the fact that the job you have isn’t suited for you, you’ll never find the courage to quit.

You need to STOP, get to a baseline, get to a place where you can make a stand.

And then notice what Red did. He engineered a triggering event. He let all his misery in and it got to the point where he HAD to do quit.

The worst place you want to be is “warm”.

Have you ever tasted warm water? It tastes like crap!

Be hot or cold. Don’t stay in the middle.

So many people are “warm”. They haven’t gotten to the point where they can have a positive triggering event or a negative one. Both are powerful, but in my experience, I believe negative triggering events have a more lasting impact and are far more conducive to producing real change in one’s life. If you have no idea of this triggering event concept I’m talking about, I wrote an article about it entitled just that: The Triggering Event.

At first, what he did may sound unpleasant, but it was necessary and a great strategy. It got him to make the ultimate decision and quit.

Now what?

This is what most people fear. How will I make money? How will I pay bills without a job?

For those of you who have that fear, realize this.

Things have a way of evening out in life. It’s called equilibrium. If your life is suddenly unbalanced in one area, you WILL find a way to even it out eventually. It’s human nature to make sure you’re at equilibrium. Don’t count yourself out in finding a way to do that.

This is exactly what happened to Red.

He’s got income coming in from his own business, he’s teaching part time and he’s a part time trainer as well. He’s pursuing his passions. Now I have no idea if he’s making the same amount as he was making at his old job but even if he isn’t, guess what?

He still comes out on top.

WAY AHEAD.

Just look at all the other benefits that have come about since he made the ultimate decision.

He went from being desperate about quitting his job, of having that job suck the life out of him, of having anxiety, being miserable, having back aches, depression to:

Relief.

Freedom.

Time to enjoy nature.

Time to indulge in his passions.

Time to slowly and luxuriously walk on the beach.

Time to prepare his meals.

To brew the coffee and have the luxury of time to wait and smell the aroma, without having to rush to the office.

Time to do gardening.

The regaining of his self worth.

Time to really appreciate his life to the point where he feels like a new born baby!

Time to enjoy the most important gift on earth. The gift of life.

Money can’t bring you all that.

But courage in making the decision you know you need to make in your life and following through on it can.

Like he mentioned before, if you really hate your job, it’s too expensive. It really is. It costs WAY too much in areas of your life that you can’t quantify and because you can’t quantify it, you don’t really realize how much of an impact it really makes until it’s too late.

If you’re in that kind of position, I think it’d wise to go back and read Red’s story a second time to pick up on something you might’ve missed the first time. See the importance of the principles he mentions of simple living, making a decision, accepting, of pursuing your passion, of making a choice and taking the best shot you have at it. Read the advice he gives in the latter portion of the interview. Let all that inspire you to make the ultimate decision as well (you might also benefit from reading How to Get Out of a Job You Hate too).

Like he said, “Life is too short.”

The ultimate luxury and resource we have is freedom and time.

Let us fight for that instead so we can use those resources to enjoy our lives, to become our best selves so that we in turn, pursue our passions, so we can best serve our fellow man and a purpose higher than ourselves as well.