The Peace in Back-Stepping Professionally
We live in a world that is obsessed with “more”. Greater sales numbers, higher profit margins, longer working hours, faster technology. As counter-intuitive as it sounds, sometimes the key to being happier and healthier is to be comfortable with less.
On the other side of things, more and more people are starting to come to this realization. Folks are making strategic financial decisions to help themselves retire sooner rather than later. Companies are offering work-from-home options, as well as allowing employees to set their own hours. And more people are realizing that personal health and well-being is much more valuable than corporate status or recognition.
Tip-Toeing Away From The Spotlight in Peace
Over the years I have met a number of people that have made career decisions that helped them take a step back from the limelight so that they could take a step up personally. An example that comes to mind is a friend of my Grandfather’s that I met a few years back at a golf club in Miami.
Manny had been a successful golf professional who made a living playing major golf tournaments around the country. However, he found that the headaches and drama that came along with it just wasn’t worth it anymore. So he decided to change lanes and start earning a living as a golf instructor instead. Doing this still provided independence, and the ability to make a living doing what he loves. On top of that it also removed a lot of toxicity and nonsense out of his life.
As mentioned before in a previous article, I enjoyed bouncing around different ideas with him and my Grandfather about what I wanted to do with my own life. At the time I was 21 and still a Junior in college trying to figure things out. With everything that I brought up to them, they were incredibly supportive and encouraged me to do more research. At the time I was playing around with all sorts of different ideas, from being a park ranger, to joining the Coast Guard, to being a graphic designer.
Focusing More On Your Health
As mentioned in previous posts, back when I was a college student at UCF, I was subscribed pretty heavily to the “bigger is better ” approach. Everything that I did was done with grim intensity and determination. From working out, to recording music, to even just speaking with people on the phone or in person. Over the course of my final semester, I had to learn how to balance myself more appropriately. And by the time I graduated, I was ready to start making my health more of a priority, and get away from that grim way of doing things.
Around that time I was fascinated to hear that one of my favorite comedians, Joey Diaz, was following in a similar direction. Joey Diaz had lived in Los Angeles for years, and was doing all the things that any successful comedian would hope to be doing. He was taping Netflix specials, performing tour dates, recording one of the largest podcasts in the city, and much more. But, underneath it all, Joey Diaz says that he felt a big hole in his heart. He found himself struggling to sleep, and resorting to things like food and drugs to help him cope with the stress of it all.
In late 2020, Joey took the opportunity to move away from the big city altogether. He got away from the drugs, drama, and commotion and started taking his health more seriously. He started spending more time with his family, exercising more, and taking time to enjoy a change of scenery. As a result he started sleeping better, feeling better, and looking better. I personally found that to be very inspiring.
Coming Back Stronger
Some of my favorite stories in the entertainment industry are of people who reached the highest heights only to step away for a while, and eventually come back stronger. Examples include Dave Chappelle, Dane Cook, and Eminem.
Listening to Dane Cook in particular can be very inspiring. Dane was at the top of the comedy industry back in the early 2000s. He was selling out Madison Square Garden, starring in movies, performing on Saturday Night Live, and so on. But, similar to Joey Diaz, underneath it all there was a lot of negative emotion. A lot of insecurity, a lot of anger, and probably some addiction to the rush of it all.
Dane fell back from the scene for a while toward the end of the 2000s, but today he is in a much better place. Just listening to him speak on the podcasts I’ve heard from him makes me excited. He talks about how awesome it is that comedians are now able to record and release their material independently using the platforms that are available nowadays. He talks about how back in the day networks would coerce comedians into dressing a certain way, sounding a certain way, or performing certain material and how that is no longer the case. Dane seems to be much healthier and happier today, and that is very uplifting to see.
Final Thoughts
Regardless of what your profession is, there is always a way to backstep without compromising your evolution as an individual. There is always a way to make your own well-being the priority, rather than prioritizing the opinions of others.
For many people, they don’t make this discovery until it is too late. They spend entire careers working overtime, slaving away, and compulsively chasing after “more” only to find themselves unhealthy and unhappy. They get older and realize they missed years of valuable time with the people they love. And they realize that they missed out on some of life’s greatest joys because they couldn’t lay down their own pride.
Sometimes taking a step back is the way to go. You can thank yourself later on when you go on to become healthier, happier, and ultimately more successful as a result of it.
