It sounds scary af when you really think about it. Like, “Yo, I think today I’m gonna go and quit my job that pays allllll of my bills so that I can go do what I really want to and hopefully people will give me money for it because I think I’m pretty okay at it.” L! But, when you really break it down that’s exactly what I did. It didn’t happen overnight. I actually spent months plotting and planning my exit. It wasn’t an abrupt move. No. It was calculated and timed.
Almost two years ago something major happened to me and I decided it was time to take the leap and pursue my passion. I wanted to live life the way I wanted to. I wanted to quit this job that was sucking the life out of me and wonder onto a path of liberation. That liberation could only be found in the ability to live life creating and thriving as a full time artist.
Here are a list of 5 people who through their words and teachings helped me to jump and take that leap of faith. 5 people who changed my life forever.
1. My Mother: Talk about crazy emotional support. I would go to my mother and tell her how stressed I was at the thought of quitting and abandoning a secure source of income. Her response was always something along the lines of “It will work out, Antoinette, because it has always worked out. So, it will always work out.” She never once told me, “No, Antoinette, don’t quit your job. You won’t be able to pay your bills. You will struggle.” No, she supported my decisions and constantly reminded me of all of the benefits and positive things that would come of my decision. This emotional support has been so crucial for me in my journey. Not only am I chasing my dreams but my little brother is also chasing his dreams of working with foreign cars. He works as an independent mechanic and has a car club that travels to car shows in LA, Vegas and more. How awesome is that as a mother to see both of your children chasing their passions in a world that tells people to get a job, work, pay bills and that’s life! Find someone who offers positive and reassuring affirmations consistently. It is so needed!
2. & 3. Logic & Alan Watts: First off, let me say, if you have not listened to album “The Incredible True Story” by Logic then you need to! Amazing album! This album came into my life at the perfect time. It was the end of 2015 and I was gearing up to quit. I think I had about 3 months until the date I gave myself to quit by. This album really helped me through some rough days. One song in particular really tugged at my heart and put things into perspective. Track 18, “The Incredible True Story”, features a brief speech by Alan Watts at the end of the song that beautifully sums up what every person should be doing. I used to listen to this song EVERAYDAY on my way to work. Everyday it pushed me closer and closer to quitting. Now, I want you listen to the song and hear what I mean...
4. Brendan Burchard: Brendan is an AMAZING motivational speaker and life coach. If you don’t know his story, I encourage you to look up his YouTube videos and books. He currently has over 100 motivational videos on YouTube. They range from topics like how to manage projects with excellence to how to be beautiful. I mean, this dude covers pretty much everything an entrepreneur/ dream chaser could ask to hear a little motivation about. I listen to his videos on a weekly basis and I have almost all of his books. His words definitely lit a fire in my soul and made me a lot more confident in my decisions. This is the first video that I watched of his and I would like you to watch it and really soak in what he is saying.
5. Jermaine Cole: I couldn’t stop crying that day. I was SO scared. I was SO stressed. How was I going to make this shit happen? How was I going to live off of my art? I didn’t know what to do to cope with this overwhelming fear and so I turned to music to ease my mind. I played the intro and outro to J. Coles 2014 Forest Hills Drive on repeat and drove around the city and just let it all out. Those songs reminded me of something very important. At the end of the day, when all is said and done and we lay down for our final rest, the only thing that really mattered was love. LOVE. So, why not go for it? Why not risk losing everything? Why not? What is the greater struggle, being unhappy with life but safe in a mediocre existence OR risking losing it all in order to chase what you truly LOVE? Love is all that matters and I needed Jermaine to remind me of that.
ALL of these people helped me in making the tough decision of quitting. Its not easy. You have to surround yourself in motivation and inspiration. Your faith has to be strong and your hustle tight. So, find people who's words and examples inspire you to do and be better.
-Antoinette