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I’ve started and quit teaching fitness classes a number of times over the years and I recently figured out why. Even though I dreaded prepping the classes and didn’t even really enjoy teaching them, the amount of endorphins I received afterwards was always so great that I would tell myself I couldn’t quit, because it was making me happy. Endorphins are the chemicals your body releases when you are stressed or feeling pain. They make you feel good and give you the motivation to keep going. Think of a “runner’s high”. This feeling, however, is short-lived. 

I’ve had quite a few jobs over the years. As a creative, I’ve always had to follow the work, and continue learning new things to scratch my creative itches. I also spent quite a large number of years in my young adulthood, being single and “free”, without things to tie me down, so I was able to leave one life behind in order to check off my creative bucket list. Now I consider myself a card carrying member of the adult community, having been in a relationship and living in one place for over five years, and working in one specific industry for ten. 

But I’ve had a few part-time jobs that I’ve had a hard time letting go of, despite the pay and benefits being less than the amount I make from my main job. 

I heard one of the super smart Youtubers I follow (I can’t remember who) say something about how they continued doing a thing that didn’t bring them fulfillment because of the temporary endorphins the activity provided. I realized at once that I had been doing the same thing in the past, going so far as to tell my boyfriend during a post-work endorphin high  “hey, if you ever hear me complain about this job again, remind me that I actually really enjoy it”. He stayed true to his word, and when the endorphins weren’t strong enough to outweigh the feeling in my gut that it was time to move on, I told him I changed my mind. 

I quit that job and never looked back. The time it saved me has allowed me to do much more fulfilling and higher paying creative work that gives me a whole range of happy chemicals- not just after I finish, but throughout my workday.

Thanks for reading!

Rebecca H. Lee
 

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