I Left A Job That I Loved To Broaden My Horizons… and It Taught Me How to Create "Space" Making room isn't about losing something, but rather creating space for something else.

For what seemed like the longest time, I tried to figure out if there was ever a good time to leave behind a job I truly love. Specifically, something I looked forward to every morning and accomplished with so much joy, that it leaves me feeling invincible. Being on top of the world like that, at first glance, doesn't give you much ground to reroute.

What I had just left behind was my dream job. For a very long time, all I wanted to be was a humanitarian working in emergency relief. For a short while, I trained and worked in the field of nutrition in emergencies– a specific arena that gave me the excitement of applying my background in science, employed smart people skills, and all in the thrill of uncertain conditions. All that to fulfill the one thing I truly wanted to do: lend a helping hand. What I came to find though, is that being a Humanitarian doesn't necessarily mean that I must be employed in the domain. In the end, it does come down to being the best I can be, and helping others do the same. With that, I walked away because I needed to make room. My reason was that simple.

Making room isn't about losing something, but rather creating space for something else. Then, it's all about ambition, persistence, and mentorship that bring in what's to take up that newly generated space. Looking back, I needed to understand why I chose that heading in the first place. I did it out of passion, and for personal growth and fulfillment. That said, if all three were met elsewhere, then the change wouldn't be so bad. I took this as a means of evaluating all that I had planned for the coming months: working towards a higher degree, and developing my interests in writing and social media. I could've opted for a part-time position at the same agency, but I had an overwhelming fear of waking up one day and questioning whether or not I was doing something I loved. There's a reason why I always take late night and early morning phone calls without dread. It's because everything and anything I was doing, I did with passion either to learn or for the task itself. I've been knighted for my ability to handle very different demanding types of assignments with impressive timing, but not everyone understood why I did that. You can do whatever it takes to do what you love. That, and when choosing to compromise, passion isn't negotiable.

I believe that we aren't meant to be one-dimensional, and that having different interests doesn't necessarily mean that you're not feeling the spark for your work anymore. It's just a cue to embrace a fresh challenge, and further develop yourself into the well-rounded person you're meant to be. To top that, all that you gain will feed into your vision one way or another, and will give you that edge over everyone else. What you gain from all this? Perspective.