If you’re reading this, you’re probably already familiar with my account on Instagram and Tiktok. And if you’re familiar with my content on those accounts, you may know that I left my full-time job at a corporate law firm almost two months ago. The decision to leave was unexpected—if you told me at the start of the week that I would be resigning by the end of it, I wouldn’t have believed you. That decision and the ongoing transition taught me (and is still teaching me) quite a lot worth sharing in this post.

Having a Value System is Key

Whether or not you know can call out your value system by name, you’re living it.  But knowing it helps guide us in times of uncertainty or crisis.  I say this because within an instant I had come to the huge decision that I would be leaving my job. I knew what was important to me and the areas in which I did not want to compromise. (My faith is one of my core values, and I genuinely believe my ability to express creativity is connected to my spirituality and faith. To the extent that a person, place, or thing attempts to stifle the ways I express creativity, it stands to stifle my connection with God. After all,  I am creative, because I am made in the image of the Creator.) Speaking with and seeking counsel from others left much room for others who did not understand my decision to try and persuade me to make a different decision. But a value system makes it easier to tune out the sometimes unnecessary voices we bring into a particularly daunting decision.

For that reason, it is also particularly important to surround yourself with people who share some of your values so that if and when the rest of the world doesn’t get you, the people who know you and know what you believe in will.

Support System 

On a few occasions in the past, I’ve spoken about how I feel like it took me a while to find my tribe, but now that I am in my late 20s I feel like I’m settling into the friendships that I hope will be lifelong. I am quite the independent woman—for better and for worse—but a decision as abrupt and life-changing as the one I made required a support system. That week was a “fire drill” so to speak, and I am so grateful to friends who seemingly dropped everything they were doing to help by doing anything from putting me in contact with advisors who could provide insight, to vigorously defending me against judgemental comments on Reddit or Twitter. I don’t care how self-sufficient you are, when the rubber meets the road and when life gets serious, you will need a support system.

Sharing Your Story Will Probably Open More Doors Than Staying Silent 

Basically, closed mouths don’t get fed. I cannot begin to tell you the number of new opportunities and options I’ve been made aware of by simply sharing my story. Truthfully, I wasn’t looking for sympathy, advice, or support when I initially shared what happened.  I simply wanted to update my followers that my life and posts might look a little different. But in the wake of being open with my decision, I’ve been able to connect with so many people who continually assure me that there are more paths out there that I may not have known. This is not to say that the solution to finding a new opportunity in the wake of losing one is to post it on Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok. Instead, the overall lesson is there is so much that community has to offer if you tap into it, and often times “tapping in” requires speaking up.

Transition is daunting, but it can be incredibly exciting if you let it be, and I’m so excited to lean into the fun of the unknown that is this transitionary period of my life. 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3: 5-6

#EniGivenSunday