Always an Off-Ramp

One of my friends recently confided in me that he hates her job. On social media and in conversations, he glamorizes his job, constantly touting how "amazing" it is. Behind the scenes, though, this friend is utterly miserable. He recently asked a simple question: "How do you get out of a job you hate?"

Picture yourself driving down the Interstate. It's an open road, with hardly an end in sight. Yet, along the journey, there are off-ramps every handful of miles. You can always take an off-ramp, but in the absence of intentionally doing so, you'll continue down the Interstate into the horizon. Jobs are much the same way. If we're not careful, we'll perpetually drive into the horizon, with no end in sight. However, there's always an off-ramp.

Here's the problem in our culture. Granted, it's getting better as younger generations move into the workforce. We've largely been indoctrinated into an ideology that a safe and secure, terrible job is better than the risk of change. Get a job, hold on for dear life, then someday retire so you can "finally enjoy your life." That's the messaging.

So, to my friend who is suffering in silence: There's always an off-ramp! All that's required of us is to switch on our turn signal and veer onto the off-ramp with intentionality. Find something better! Think there's nothing better out there for you? That would require a reality in which you're currently in the perfect job in the world. But since the question is even being raised, we know that's not true. Therefore, by definition, there's something better out there.

Take the off-ramp! Don't run from something, though. It's not about running away, avoiding responsibility. Instead, seek out something to run toward. Again, it's out there, and it's probably way cooler than you can ever imagine!

As I draw today's post to a close, please don't hear me advocating for everyone to leave their jobs. I'm talking to a specific group of people: those who wake up every day with some degree of dread about what's about to happen. The Sunday scaries. The lump in the throat. The always-craving-a-vacation feeling. You know what I'm talking about. If so, today's message is for you. There's always an off-ramp.

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