01 Mar The Quitter’s Manifesto

12 years an employee..

So It’s 9am Monday morning on the leap year and I am working in one of my offices; and today, that office is Starbucks.  But as much as I love their coffee, I am not employed by this very popular and powerful franchise; I am just one of the many self-employed millennials that patronize Starbucks for their coffee, food, free Wi-Fi and desktop space.

I spent the last 12 years of my career working for an agency that has contributed to both my professional and educational growth.  This agency religiously paid me every two weeks, provided me with a competitive benefits package and offered room for growth and professional development.  However, my time with this agency came to an end last Friday.

No I wasn’t fired.  I brought this end on myself.  Yes, I quit my job.  So based on this actual factual, I would be considered a quitter.  According to the Department of Labor, I belong to a category of people affectionately called “the quits”. I’ve always had a negative relationship with this word due to the fact that I’ve been secretly labeling myself a quitter whenever I lost the desire to complete a task.

This truth lead to a lie of not being good enough

 

I remember I quit the little league, I quit track, I quit voice lessons, I quit guitar lessons.  I’m sure the list can go on and on.  I started building a personal reputation of trying things and quitting.  Based on what society gives value to, I should never feel like a winner because I never actually “won” anything.  I never had any trophies or first place ribbons to help define me as a winner.  This truth lead to a lie of not being good enough.

Poor me.  I know, relax, this is NOT about to be some “feel sorry for me type of sob story”.  But it is a “learn to stop feeling sorry for yourself type of story”.   This is a story about learning to love YOURSELF, learning to love how YOU were made, learning to love what YOU do and learning to love how YOU do it.

I had to redefine winning on my own terms by setting myself apart from the competition 

I am learning that I have to be comfortable with quitting if my ultimate goal is to win.  I am learning that having a trophy, a blue ribbon, or accolades does not make me a winner.  I had to redefine winning on my own terms by setting myself apart from the competition.

This is a competitive world we live in and the way the world is set up, it seems that only the strong survive.  So what’s to become of the weak? Some say the weak get eaten and die off.  Survival of the fittest right?  But what if someone told the weak that their greatest strength lies in a talent they have yet to discover?

What if the weak discovered that their talent or idea could change the course of history?  What if the weak discovered that they are not what people say they are, and that they are, in fact, not weak at all.

What if an ordinary caseworker employed by a state child protective services agency realized that his story, skills, talent and knowledge can be used to inspire a generation of talented youth and professionals? What could possibly happen?

In order to find out the complete answer to these questions; one has to become what was once viewed as a negative; a quitter.  Realizing that, in fact, quitters are brave in spite of fear, doubt and uncertainty.  Quitters realize that their greatest potential is released once their time and energy is committed to their creative process.

You must defy the laws of mathematics and learn that subtraction can and does promote increase

The game has changed.  The new perspective says that if you want to win, become a quitter.   You must be the best quitter that you can be.  You must learn to let go of the old and embrace the new.  Forget about everything you have ever learned and step outside of your self-imposed boxes.  You must defy the laws of mathematics and learn that subtraction can and does promote increase.  Who says that you can’t change the rules and create new ones?

Quitting is more than just quitting your job baby!  We are attached to excuses, negative thoughts, bad memories, toxic relationships and unhealthy habits.  Stop saying No to the opportunity to quit and Go toward the opportunity to grow into the person you were ultimately created to be.  So come on, say it loud, I AM A QUITTER! (I know, takes some getting used to).

-Zo Brown