You need courage to quit

Most of us do not have the courage to quit when we are placed in an awkward situation. There are obvious reasons for this attitude. One major reason is that we need money to survive. We have to maintain our wives and children. So we suffer in silence working for someone who may be a task master or a slave driver. The ultimate result of working against your will is utter frustration.

In the government sector how many employees work unhappily because of the old age pension? Most of them do not make an attempt to better their prospects by improving their skills and moving on to greener pastures. There are a few exceptions to this general rule. It is not surprising to hear of a humble hospital clerk becoming a judge by studying the law in his spare time. T.B. Illangaratne was a clerk who elevated himself to be a prominent minister.

There are many such success stories. What is more important is to know how they changed their lives. They knew the art of quitting and to burn their bridges behind them so that there was no return. Prince Siddhartha gave up his royal comforts when he realised that he had better things to do in life. Instead of wallowing in wealth, he chose to tread the most difficult path to become the Buddha.

Purpose of living

Throughout recorded history, questions have been posed about why we are here and what is the purpose of our living. Underlying these questions is a need to identify what will make us happy. But we are confused about how to find happiness. Does the fulfilment of innate biological needs leads towards happiness? In the alternative, should we satisfy only our physiological needs such as food, sleep and sex? However, the new wave of psychotherapeutic advances in the modern age are complex on the question of fulfilling our needs.

Abraham Maslow, a psychotherapist of repute, examined human experiences by studying love, hope, faith, spirituality, individuality and existence. He came to the conclusion that an individual should discover his true purpose in life and pursue it. He called it self-actualisation. Theory apart, how many of us are ready to discover our true purpose in life?

Maslow had a highly structured plan for human motivation. He wanted the people to follow it to realise self-actualisation. In the first place, we must help others rather than prevent their progress. Secondly, we have to fulfil our personal potential. We must have a desire or zest for higher goals in life. When you have order and beauty in life, you are well ahead of others. And you begin to know and understand human life better than others.

Deficiency needs

Maslow also gave a list of deficiency needs in life. They are simple and basic. For instance, they include physiological necessities such as food, water and sleep. There is also a need for safety, to love and be loved. We have a basic need to be accepted by others. When you are rejected by others, your self-esteem suffers the most.

Maslow also proposes that each one of us has an individual purpose to which we are uniquely suited. We have to identify and pursue that purpose relentlessly.

Even a cursory glance at society would bare the truth that many of us are not doing what we are best suited to do in life. In a consumerist society, God of Mammon calls the shots. We are virtually at his mercy. However, if you have the character, you will not pursue the path of least resistance. You will break away from the shackles and emerge victorious.

Maslow’s message is loud and clear. Each of us must discover our potential and seek out experiences that will allow us to fulfil it. “What a man can be, he must be,” Maslow said.

People who quit their jobs are not necessarily crazy. Those who are psychologically healthy can be driven to such extreme human behaviour. A man may quit his job when he is put under pressure or his skills are not properly recognised.