starting again

[Scarlett]

Has anyone with a perfectly respectable job/house given up everything to change direction? Am about to do this. Part of me questions my sanity, and the other part thinks life is for living, and I am not doing much living right now...

Any views?

[Mistopheles]

Yes Scarlett, been there. Gave up my very secure job to change direction, and gave up my house too, as re-training meant I couldn't afford a mortgage. I went back to uni to train as a barrister, and have just passed my final exams. Don't have a new job lined up yet, but I feel so much happier, knowing that even if I fail, I've tried.

Good luck.

[dmsjps]

Congratulations Mistopheles!

 

Scarlett, I don't blame you one bit! If I had the chance, I'd do it. In your heart it's what you want, otherwise you wouldn't have taken the plunge.

 

Good luck! Just out of interest, what are you giving up and to do what?

[Scarlett]

Well, I accidentally fell into teaching without wanting to be a teacher. My degree was in film/TV/Art. All my life I have been 100% into creative pursuits, and (I am not blowing my own trumpet) looking back, all my old teachers expected far greater things from me than being a teacher- as did I!! After my degree it was very hard to get a job where I was, since I was doing my band full-time, and needed a day job which was just that. I couldn't find one so I did a PGCE as something to fall back on.

 So, after uni, I never did the "get a great job in the media" thing like my friends did- I became a musician.

Several years later, the band broke up and I was left, very ill, on incapacity benefit. Gradually I went back to work, but this was teaching, as it was the only thing I was qualified to do!

So years later (14 years since I graduated) I have done a lot of teching, but not followed my heart at all. So now is the time to give it up, go back to uni and do an MA in film making, in order to focus again on whatn I perhaps should have done al those years ago!!x

[ceebee007]

Scarlett - Go for it!  Like you say, life is for living.  And yes, it will be only natural to quake in your boots a bit and question your sanity!

But life isn't a dress rehearsal - follow your dream - you know you can do it and you don't want to look back in years to come and think 'What if ....?'

Good luck!!

[OBonio]

A friend of mine dumped his well paid job in IT and sold his cracking Subaru to retrain as an electrician. 7 months down the road and he's self employed (ie, playing golf when he can). He loves it. Apart from when the work dries up.

[lilyfrog]

a friend of mine gave up his job as a financial manager and sold his house to learn how to build boats. Speaning his days studying carpentry and loving it.

[dmsjps]

I hope everything goes well Scarlett. It's a big step, but you know in your heart you'll be happier, so yeah - as per my fave band's intro tune to come on stage - GO FOR IT!

[Scarlett]

Andy- Yes, it would be an honour!

[BossyBoots]

Don't live with regrets.  Go for it cos you will always wonder what would have happened. 

Lucky you.