the secret of life

« The secret of life? Knowing when to leave. »

That’s a line from the Netflix tv series, Bloodline (season 3, episode 9). I referenced it in a book I wrote about four years ago. 

But two days ago, I was reminded about the sentiment behind that line when my friend told me he’d recently quit his job. 

In British Columbia, the Canadian province I call home, there’s been a dramatic uptick in opioid overdoses during the pandemic. My friend had been working in a nonprofit to support individuals dealing with substance abuse and in recent months, he’d watched as many of them struggled and eventually passed away. 

The crisis and deaths were taking a toll on him. It almost began affecting his marriage until his wife called his attention to it. That’s when he made the decision to quit, take a break and practice some much-needed self care. 

Just yesterday, the professional Tennis player, Naomi Osaka, withdrew from the French Open citing mental health challenges. 

For Osaka, my friend and several people, quitting is not always a preferred option but it’s one they’ve had to make for the sake of their well-being. And they are likely better for it.

It’s never easy to know, for sure, when to leave a job, city or relationship. In fact, one might never know for sure but sometimes, the signs are clear and right there. 

The better you are at observing and acting on those signs, the better you’ll be at this thing called life. 

After all, the secret of life is knowing when to leave. 

This letter was originally shared as a newsletter. You can sign up to receive letters like this one on a biweekly basis here.