There is an ancient Greek word, heuriskō, which translates to “I find, discover.”
This is my current situation: Even though I have a great passion for something, I have realized that it’s perfectly fine to quit.
I find it’s hard enough to kick bad habits; it’s even harder to leave something you love.
Yet that’s the decision I made this past year, leaving the only professional career I’ve ever known—radio and digital media. It has perturbed me for months—a tug-of-war between my spirit and my ego.
Now, as the year concludes and I become further removed, I realize it’s okay to get rid of things and still cherish them.
I still love hip-hop. I still love storytelling. Although I still enjoy showcasing talented people, I have also discovered that I must love myself as well as care for my physical and emotional needs.
The constant need to react and respond to others’ actions can be exhausting, but that is what the job requires.
In hindsight, there are situations I could have handled better, but that’s the thing about hindsight: our perception is that things were more predictable than they were.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have done things differently. However, I wouldn’t know what I know now without leaving the only thing I knew.
A decade ago, I was an intern at a radio station and paid my bills as a baseball instructor, teaching boys and girls ages 5 to 18.
The kids would always approach the cage holding a bat incorrectly, but they did so because it was more comfortable, despite not receiving the results they wanted.
No matter the age or skill level, I always preached one message: Embrace the discomfort. The key to gaining confidence and comfort is to learn while you’re uncomfortable.
Now it’s time to apply my advice and heed this message. I need to embrace being uncomfortable again. For me, becoming comfortable encouraged complacency.
Recently, I learned the word “quit” comes from old French, meaning “to free” or “to release”.
I can still love what I “quit,” but I’ve accepted that to find confidence again, I need to clear the clutter from my past, release what was, and welcome what will be to be free.
Shoutout to Derek Sivers for being an ally in helping to cease this internal battle.