#2 The Why

There is a reason for everything.

Since I posted my change of position on LinkedIn, many people have asked me why I would quit a good position in a very good company after so many years. Some thought I might have been invited to leave (I was not), others thought I had no more will to continue (not the case), and others were not surprised at all (that was a small group). The thing I've heard the most, though, is how brave I am.

After over twenty years in the industry, why would I give up on something I had been working to achieve for so long? Where are all those ideas of mine to be a role model for other women, stand up in a male-dominated industry, and never give up? I should be strong, independent, fearless, and full of experience to do better and to decide better. That's what some would say, and you know what? I don't owe it to anyone.

I loved my job, and I was good at it. I spent years managing business and people. I always cared about my colleagues and was direct and open, which is requested by default but not always well accepted. I cared for myself, but not as much as I could and should have. The most important thing I've learned in the last years is not in my curriculum but deserves to be shared: I got to know myself, to say no, to fight for what I want, to decide what is worth, and to strive for happiness. Best of all, I accepted that changing paths will take work.

I am a writer. If that makes me brave, I take it.