I am glad you enjoyed this. Happy I could be of some inspiration but I don’t think the path that I took/am taking and choices I made/make are meant to be duplicated. I would tell anyone that they definitely need to create their own path. I am happy to be of assistance in that journey.
I well remember the first few months after my conversion to Christianity at the age of 21. My conversion was so spectacular to me that I assumed I must go to some bible college and become….something. (i was quite naive about how ecumenical life worked)
With wisdom far beyond what could be expected from me personally, I sought counsel from a number of people in my life, including my pastor and Christian mentors who had stepped up to help me in my transition. Each and every one of them suggested that I forego formal religious education in favour of a career in the trades. I saw the truth of the counsel and became a plumber.
I served the Lord in the construction trades for 40+ years. It was an amazing career. After working for others, I became owner/operator of my own plumbing contracting business for a dozen years. I finished my career as an instructor at a local trade school, teaching math and science to plumbing apprentices.
My career in the trades provided me with a pathway to serve the common good of my community. It gave me an opportunity to be creative in ways I never thought possible. It provided for my family, now grown with kids of their own. It was a great choice in providing me with a sense of significance and purpose. It was full of blessings unlooked for. I thank God for His early intervention.
Hey Isiah I found this from Paul Millerd's newsletter and really enjoyed reading about your journey. I also had my own version of waking up to having a bullshit job. Wrote about it here if you're interested: https://morehumanpossible.com/p/25-i-quit-my-job
What's crazy is that for every 1 of you, with integrity and a burning sense of self clawing to escape, there are 99 who will die in fear.
You will doubt yourself. It will be part of the process. You'll wonder if this was the right choice for your family and your son. Only you can know this, but your path of courage is the ultimate story of your soul.
Congrats Isaiah! I can relate having a similar situation working on Wall Street for 5 years, having some amount of success, but not feeling like I was creating "anything of tangible value" for the world. Now I'm in an entrepreneur in Tampa, if you're in the area, let's connect!
Your post kept me hooked all the way through. Your writing is authentic and that makes all the difference. Your story is unique. Looking forward to reading more!
Many aspects of your story resonate with me. My move to leave NYC mirrors yours. My next step if to try and figure out my own entrepreneurial dream so that I can reclaim my time so that I can spend more of it with my son. Looking forward to reading more.
Your article makes me think of an hourglass, minus the sand.
When we're young, and if we're lucky, we have a ton of opportunity in life.
Then we move to the city, get a career, grow up, and start building a family. That's the narrow neck of the hourglass. A lot of people stay in the hourglass neck until retirement.
You pushed out of the hourglass neck and into a new sense of freedom. Out of the confined space and mindless work of New York City into the unexplored territory of being an entrepreneur in south Florida.
I'm more than a few years in front of you, and I applaud your insight into Bullshit Jobs and Taleb, and the willingness to get skin in the game. It sounds like these authors have been incredibly insightful and thought provoking, and caused you to make the major step in your life as an additional prod to moving out of your job.
I know you're incredibly busy, but I would also encourage you to read one more book, the 5th discipline, by Pete Senge. Pete introduces an idea of systems thinking, from J Forrester out of MIT. However I can short circuit the whole thing by suggesting the one step that you need to take to be able to be truly successful, both in business and personal life, over the next 10 to 20 years.
Senge basically suggests that we need to set up some type of dissonance inside of our life to drive us to the ultimate goal of where we need to get. This is part of a systems thinking framework, which is unbelievable in terms of its power in your life. You had his dissonance to get out of your first job, but this is a life long habit.
In systems thinking, dissonance arises when there is a mismatch between our mental models (our understanding of how things work) and the reality of the system's behavior. This dissonance can help us identify areas where our mental models need to be revised or expanded, leading to a deeper understanding of complex systems.
Senge emphasizes the importance of reflection and inquiry in resolving dissonance. By exploring the sources of dissonance and examining our own assumptions and beliefs, we can begin to resolve the discomfort and develop new insights and understanding.
The best way that I found to do this is to do the now wow how framework. It's even better if you do it with your spouse. This is simply walking with your spouse and saying, "Okay, where are we now?" Then you say, "Hey, ideally where would we be in 10 or 20 years from now." Then you start talking about the HOW.
This has become incredibly helpful in growing my investments, but in figure out my future family's path. It has also led to some 2 hour walks that basically felt like 5 minutes had passed.
“The man from an age of dissolution, which mixes the races all together, such a man has an inheritance of a multiple ancestry in his body, that is, conflicting and frequently not merely conflicting drives and standards of value which war among themselves and rarely give each other rest - such a man of late culture and disturbed lights will typically be a weaker man. His most basic demand is that the war which constitutes him should finally end. Happiness seems to him, in accordance with a calming medicine and way of thinking (for example, Epicurean or Christian), principally as the happiness of resting, of having no interruptions, of surfeit, of the final unity, as the "Sabbath of Sabbaths," to use the words of the saintly rhetorician Augustine, who was himself such a man. But if the opposition and war in such a nature work like one more charm or thrill in life - and bring along, in addition to this nature's powerful and irreconcilable drives, also the real mastery and refinement in waging war with itself, and thus transmit and cultivate self-ruling and outwitting of the self, then arise those delightfully amazing and unimaginable people, those enigmatic men predestined for victory and temptation, whose most beautiful expressions are Alcibiades and Caesar (- in their company I'd like to place the first European, according to my taste, the Hohenstaufer Frederick II), and, among artists, perhaps Leonardo da Vinci.8 They appear precisely in the same ages when that weaker type, with its demands for quiet, steps into the foreground: both types belong with one another and arise from the same causes.”
Be wary of who you wish dissonance onto, especially in a complex system, it can be hard to know the outcome.
Love this. In a similar vein you might enjoy the book Shop Class as Soulcraft by matthew Crawford. Link here: https://amzn.to/3X90cQh
Crawford was running a think tank in DC and decided to give it up to open a motorbike repair shop. His reasoning was similar to yours: in a laptop professional job, all his work felt abstract and meaningless, whereas in a motorbike repair shop, he could see, feel, and touch his work, and physically see the difference he was making every day. A few choice quotes that I love:
"The satisfactions of manifesting oneself concretely in the world through manual competence have been known to make a man quiet and easy."
"the tangible elements of craft were appealing as an antidote to vague feelings of unreality, diminished autonomy, and a fragmented sense of self that were especially acute among the professional classes."
"I never ceased to take pleasure in the moment, at the end of a job, when I would flip the switch. 'And there was light.' It was an experience of agency and competence. The effects of my work were visible for all to see."
Highly recommend it, I think you'd enjoy it a lot.
I have been a fan and read some of Crawford’s other works essays. Haven’t read Shop Class as Soulcraft yet, though it was on my radar. Thank you for suggesting.
Congrats on making the move Isaiah. Major props. Did something similar a few years back - bought an e-commerce business. Though there have been some wild ups and downs, your philosophy remains true for me almost three years later: making the move is the part that matters, and the benefits extend wider and deeper than you can imagine.
Was I so alienated from my own humanity and community that I couldn’t actually provide something concrete for them that in return could sustain me and my family?
This was the real life time question
When you've reached a point in life where you want to connect with the rest of humanity, you've found freedom. And am happy you tool that decision and it has paid off in terms of your health, mental health, time for your loved ones, and contribute to the community.
Instant subscribe. I foresee myself following in your footsteps in the not so distant future
I am glad you enjoyed this. Happy I could be of some inspiration but I don’t think the path that I took/am taking and choices I made/make are meant to be duplicated. I would tell anyone that they definitely need to create their own path. I am happy to be of assistance in that journey.
I well remember the first few months after my conversion to Christianity at the age of 21. My conversion was so spectacular to me that I assumed I must go to some bible college and become….something. (i was quite naive about how ecumenical life worked)
With wisdom far beyond what could be expected from me personally, I sought counsel from a number of people in my life, including my pastor and Christian mentors who had stepped up to help me in my transition. Each and every one of them suggested that I forego formal religious education in favour of a career in the trades. I saw the truth of the counsel and became a plumber.
I served the Lord in the construction trades for 40+ years. It was an amazing career. After working for others, I became owner/operator of my own plumbing contracting business for a dozen years. I finished my career as an instructor at a local trade school, teaching math and science to plumbing apprentices.
My career in the trades provided me with a pathway to serve the common good of my community. It gave me an opportunity to be creative in ways I never thought possible. It provided for my family, now grown with kids of their own. It was a great choice in providing me with a sense of significance and purpose. It was full of blessings unlooked for. I thank God for His early intervention.
Thank you for sharing that beautiful story Ian. It’s amazing where and how our paths lead us through life. I’m still excited about what’s to come.
Hey Isiah I found this from Paul Millerd's newsletter and really enjoyed reading about your journey. I also had my own version of waking up to having a bullshit job. Wrote about it here if you're interested: https://morehumanpossible.com/p/25-i-quit-my-job
Will check this out. Thank you
Thank you for your honesty and courage Isaiah.
What's crazy is that for every 1 of you, with integrity and a burning sense of self clawing to escape, there are 99 who will die in fear.
You will doubt yourself. It will be part of the process. You'll wonder if this was the right choice for your family and your son. Only you can know this, but your path of courage is the ultimate story of your soul.
Congrats Isaiah! I can relate having a similar situation working on Wall Street for 5 years, having some amount of success, but not feeling like I was creating "anything of tangible value" for the world. Now I'm in an entrepreneur in Tampa, if you're in the area, let's connect!
Likewise if you ever come around Boca Raton
Your post kept me hooked all the way through. Your writing is authentic and that makes all the difference. Your story is unique. Looking forward to reading more!
Many aspects of your story resonate with me. My move to leave NYC mirrors yours. My next step if to try and figure out my own entrepreneurial dream so that I can reclaim my time so that I can spend more of it with my son. Looking forward to reading more.
would love to hear more
Your article makes me think of an hourglass, minus the sand.
When we're young, and if we're lucky, we have a ton of opportunity in life.
Then we move to the city, get a career, grow up, and start building a family. That's the narrow neck of the hourglass. A lot of people stay in the hourglass neck until retirement.
You pushed out of the hourglass neck and into a new sense of freedom. Out of the confined space and mindless work of New York City into the unexplored territory of being an entrepreneur in south Florida.
Thank you for sharing your story.
I'm more than a few years in front of you, and I applaud your insight into Bullshit Jobs and Taleb, and the willingness to get skin in the game. It sounds like these authors have been incredibly insightful and thought provoking, and caused you to make the major step in your life as an additional prod to moving out of your job.
I know you're incredibly busy, but I would also encourage you to read one more book, the 5th discipline, by Pete Senge. Pete introduces an idea of systems thinking, from J Forrester out of MIT. However I can short circuit the whole thing by suggesting the one step that you need to take to be able to be truly successful, both in business and personal life, over the next 10 to 20 years.
Senge basically suggests that we need to set up some type of dissonance inside of our life to drive us to the ultimate goal of where we need to get. This is part of a systems thinking framework, which is unbelievable in terms of its power in your life. You had his dissonance to get out of your first job, but this is a life long habit.
In systems thinking, dissonance arises when there is a mismatch between our mental models (our understanding of how things work) and the reality of the system's behavior. This dissonance can help us identify areas where our mental models need to be revised or expanded, leading to a deeper understanding of complex systems.
Senge emphasizes the importance of reflection and inquiry in resolving dissonance. By exploring the sources of dissonance and examining our own assumptions and beliefs, we can begin to resolve the discomfort and develop new insights and understanding.
The best way that I found to do this is to do the now wow how framework. It's even better if you do it with your spouse. This is simply walking with your spouse and saying, "Okay, where are we now?" Then you say, "Hey, ideally where would we be in 10 or 20 years from now." Then you start talking about the HOW.
This has become incredibly helpful in growing my investments, but in figure out my future family's path. It has also led to some 2 hour walks that basically felt like 5 minutes had passed.
Nietzsche writes in Beyond Good & Evil:
“The man from an age of dissolution, which mixes the races all together, such a man has an inheritance of a multiple ancestry in his body, that is, conflicting and frequently not merely conflicting drives and standards of value which war among themselves and rarely give each other rest - such a man of late culture and disturbed lights will typically be a weaker man. His most basic demand is that the war which constitutes him should finally end. Happiness seems to him, in accordance with a calming medicine and way of thinking (for example, Epicurean or Christian), principally as the happiness of resting, of having no interruptions, of surfeit, of the final unity, as the "Sabbath of Sabbaths," to use the words of the saintly rhetorician Augustine, who was himself such a man. But if the opposition and war in such a nature work like one more charm or thrill in life - and bring along, in addition to this nature's powerful and irreconcilable drives, also the real mastery and refinement in waging war with itself, and thus transmit and cultivate self-ruling and outwitting of the self, then arise those delightfully amazing and unimaginable people, those enigmatic men predestined for victory and temptation, whose most beautiful expressions are Alcibiades and Caesar (- in their company I'd like to place the first European, according to my taste, the Hohenstaufer Frederick II), and, among artists, perhaps Leonardo da Vinci.8 They appear precisely in the same ages when that weaker type, with its demands for quiet, steps into the foreground: both types belong with one another and arise from the same causes.”
Be wary of who you wish dissonance onto, especially in a complex system, it can be hard to know the outcome.
I will read the book rec. Thank you.
Love this. In a similar vein you might enjoy the book Shop Class as Soulcraft by matthew Crawford. Link here: https://amzn.to/3X90cQh
Crawford was running a think tank in DC and decided to give it up to open a motorbike repair shop. His reasoning was similar to yours: in a laptop professional job, all his work felt abstract and meaningless, whereas in a motorbike repair shop, he could see, feel, and touch his work, and physically see the difference he was making every day. A few choice quotes that I love:
"The satisfactions of manifesting oneself concretely in the world through manual competence have been known to make a man quiet and easy."
"the tangible elements of craft were appealing as an antidote to vague feelings of unreality, diminished autonomy, and a fragmented sense of self that were especially acute among the professional classes."
"I never ceased to take pleasure in the moment, at the end of a job, when I would flip the switch. 'And there was light.' It was an experience of agency and competence. The effects of my work were visible for all to see."
Highly recommend it, I think you'd enjoy it a lot.
I have been a fan and read some of Crawford’s other works essays. Haven’t read Shop Class as Soulcraft yet, though it was on my radar. Thank you for suggesting.
I picked this up and could not put it down. Finished it in 3 days ago. It spoke to my soul. Cannot thank you enough for recommending.
Congrats on making the move Isaiah. Major props. Did something similar a few years back - bought an e-commerce business. Though there have been some wild ups and downs, your philosophy remains true for me almost three years later: making the move is the part that matters, and the benefits extend wider and deeper than you can imagine.
Subscribed immediately.
Was I so alienated from my own humanity and community that I couldn’t actually provide something concrete for them that in return could sustain me and my family?
This was the real life time question
When you've reached a point in life where you want to connect with the rest of humanity, you've found freedom. And am happy you tool that decision and it has paid off in terms of your health, mental health, time for your loved ones, and contribute to the community.
U made a huge move upward in ur career path brother! Good job. Nicely done sir. Nicely done.
I’m reminded of the quote:
"No price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." Friedrich Nietzsche
I, too, have let go of the prestige life (patting myself on the back here). It can be disorienting, but better on this side.
I wrote about disappearing (from your old network and structure), that you might find valuable in this time: https://newsletter.thewayofwork.com/p/disappearing
Great read!
Great read, I found this very inspiring. I think a friend of mine would app it too.