Two years ago, I decided to make a profound life change. A career change, more specifically. I remember with crystal clarity the moment when I finally worked up the courage to ask my spouse if she was OK with it. She knew I had been unhappy for some time, but I'm not sure she was expecting me to take action.
We were driving home late one night, kids asleep in the back. I had been sitting there ( I am the co-pilot in our relationship, but that's another story), screwing up the courage to ask for her blessing. Finally I just decided to go for it, and began blurting out all the frustration, stress, fear, etc. Pascale being Pascale, she was very calm about it, and simply said if that's what I needed to do, go for it. All she required was that we not move, and not wind up living in a box. Seemed like fair demands to me.
I am lucky enough to be in a profession (teaching) where unpaid sabbaticals are permitted. Basically, I had two years worth of sand in the hourglass. What I wanted was to move into the college system, which in Quebec is a two year bridge between high school and university.
Amazingly enough, it all worked out, and I am now installed in the college about thirty minutes from here. But that is not the real point of the story.
When I left my high school, I was in fitness heaven. I had decided to focus completely on my health, and had reaped the rewards. I was running half-marathons, I had just finished a two week cleanse, etc. But moving into a new system where I had to prove myself, face student and teacher evaluations, etc...well, I let my health take a back seat. A terrible justification, I know. But it happened all the same.
Now all that is finished. I have no stability at the college, but I do have hiring priority. I have jumped through all the hoops. And I have made a conscious decision.
This summer has been a journey back towards health. I refuse to give up on it. I have therefore decided that, while I will continue to do a great job, my health will always come first. Students might have to wait a couple of extra days for their results, but the sky will not fall on their heads as a result. I want and I need to continue on this path, and I will not look for excuses why it should be put on the back burner.