Kip slumped into the driver’s seat of his luxury sedan. It was the end of another frustrating day at work. He was totally worn out and he could give anything to leave this job. As he sat there staring into space, his mind flashed back into how it all began and how he’d got to where he was.
Back in high school, Kip had loved the outdoors and he could never miss a chance when there was a hike or an excursion. His first career choice was tour guiding; for he knew this would give him the chance and opportunity to be where he loved most; in the bushes and mountains. But all this was changed by his parents who felt that his choice of career would paint the family in bad light. As the last born of five siblings, his elder brothers and sisters had thriving careers in the aviation industry, law, medicine or engineering. His dad was a retired lawyer and his mum was a retired doctor who had been in private practice. So his parents felt that he was going offtrack as far as his career was concerned. His father being influential in the legal circles, managed to take him to the best law school in the country where he graduated with a degree in law. His father then organized for him to go abroad to study for an MA in law at a leading university in the USA.
When Kip returned to the country, he joined a law firm owned by his father. As a go getter, he worked hard and rose through the ranks to become a partner. Though he was excellent in his work, deep inside, Kip was an empty shell. Every weekend he would switch off his phone, take his hiking gear and off he went into the mountains. Up there he felt at peace; this was where he belonged. Here the millions from litigation faded away. He was doing what he loved and that was all that mattered. He had money but it couldn’t buy him happiness or fulfilment.
Fast forward back at the parking lot, in his mind he could see the resignation letter he had written but hadn’t gathered enough courage to hand it over to the Chairman who happened to his father. He knew his dad would be mad at him and there was a chance that he could reject the resignation letter. His father had wanted him to take over as Chairman but Kip could not imagine himself sitting behind a desk chairing board meetings. That was not him and he was willing to do anything to stop that from happening.
He didn’t know how long he sat there in his car and his reverie was broken by the shrill ringing of his phone. On checking he realized that the caller was his wife and he remembered that he was supposed to pick his son from school at 4pm. On checking his watch, it read 6pm. In a panic, he started his car and with screeching tyres, headed off towards the main road. He didn’t remember to check the road and were it not for the hawk eyed truck driver who was driving down the road and who saw his car emerge without stopping and break hard, that would have been the end of Kip. After this incident, Kip’s mind was made up.
The following morning, he drove to his father’s law firm parking lot in his 4 by 4 dressed in hiking gear, took out a brown envelope, walked to the elevator and rode to the seventh floor where his father’s office was located. He left the envelope with the receptionist, walked back into the elevator, down to the ground floor walked to his car and drove off to where he felt his destiny lay; in the bushes and mountains.
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I believe this story resonates with so many of us. Some of us are stuck in dead end jobs where there is no room for growth or career progression. For others, it is a toxic relationship which we know, is not for our own good. Our significant other may be abusive and/or cheating on us but we are still stuck in there. Others are living in neighbourhoods which we feel have a negative effect on ourselves and our children but fear has holds us captive that though we know we are supposed to walk away, we stick there afraid to offend our “good”neighbours.
This is taking a huge toll on us and some have ended up collapsing there. Some have lost their lives. Others are struggling with depression stemming from such situations. Don’t wait for a life threatening situation like our friend Kip, in order to act. If you believe something is not working for you (however good or profitable it may be), plan your exit and execute it before the situation executes you. Many have ended up in sad or distressing situations because they took too long to hand in their resignation letter. To read more posts by Mwangi, click HERE
