I quit my job yesterday.

My interesting, challenging, high-paying job. My aerospace engineering job. The job I spent six years in college for, started in the depths of a recession, and moved across the country and away from all my family to get.

Today is my new first day. My first day of full entrepreneurship: Tuesday, August 3, 2021.

I knew the identity shift would hit me. I expected that. But I’ll leave more of that for another post.

Yesterday, as I was wrapping up my final day as a Flight Dynamics Engineer, a close friend sent me a message titled ‘Last Things and Lasting Things.’ The basic idea is that, when going through a big life change, it can be helpful to reflect on things that are happening for the last time and things that will last into the future. When life changes in a big way, we can be tricked into thinking everything is changing, many things are over for good, and maybe some of the things we’re leaving are a waste. We are overwhelmed by the magnitude of change: the impending loss of relationships, loss of opportunities, loss of certainty in our lives. Reflecting on lasting things can help us realize that, while there will be ‘last things’, there will also be ‘lasting things.’

Yesterday had a lot of ‘last things.’ It was challenging, I won’t lie. Likely the last time I will see many people I have worked alongside for many years. Probably the last time I’ll see the amazingly cool simulators I got to fly. The last time I impacted the project I had led tirelessly for over a year. The last time I swiped my badge and had access to the building I’ve spent a large chunk of my life for the past seven years. The last time my name will have ‘Technical Specialist II’ next to it, a title I worked hard to achieve. Some of those ‘last things’ feel worse than others, but the sheer number of ‘last things’ was still alarming. No more casual chitchats with my coworkers, no more easy messages over IM, no more lunches in the break room. So much of what was constant in my life is no longer there.

But, through this exercise, I was able to see a number of ‘lasting things.’ After I leave the office doors the final time, the connections I’ve made won’t disappear. I still have the ability to talk to those people. The memories of shared projects, funny experiences, and special conversations will last into the future. More lasting things include the skills I’ve built as an engineer: problem solving, pattern recognition, organization. These skills will be useful even in a completely different career path. The work ethic, the ability to connect with and help others, and the ability to form relationships will all come with me as well. Finally, the perseverance. All of those difficult years in college and working my way up to the position I had weren’t just a waste. They taught me to never give up on my goals, that not everyone has to follow the conventional path in life, and that our dreams are never over until we decide to let them go. I learned to persevere and have faith that, wherever I’m being called, the steps to get there will show up. I don’t have to see the full picture now; I just have to take the next step forward and trust that God will work it out according to His will, for His glory and for my good. And I’m going to need that perseverance going forward on this new journey.

Finally, my friend and I reflected on one final ‘last thing and lasting thing’. I’ll no longer have to wonder what it feels like to leave a job in pursuit of a passion. For a long time, I dreamed of this day coming, and wasn’t sure I’d ever follow through. I won’t pretend it was glamorous; I dragged my heels and said I wasn’t ready yet. But God wouldn’t stop putting it on my heart, and one day, I finally relented and said ‘Ok, let’s do this’. And now, here I am on the other side, ready to take on this new journey. A ‘lasting thing’ is knowing what it feels like to go “all in” on my dream, to fully put my trust in God, and to do something a little crazy. No matter what happens or how this works out, I will know what it feels like to take the jump that many (or few, depending on one’s perspective) before me have done. I’m all about experiencing as much of this life as possible, and this is certainly an interesting life experience to add to the list.

So, if you’re going through a major transition in your life, or find yourself there in the near future, take the time to go through this exercise. And remember, none of life’s experiences are ever wasted. We take a piece from each experience in life with us forever. Whether it’s a lesson learned, a skill obtained, a friendship made, or wisdom found, trust that each part of it helped shape you and prepare you for the next.  

What are some things you thought were ‘last things’ but turned out to be ‘lasting things’?