I had it all: a six figure income, a flashy new car, full health benefits, company travel and dining expenses and many other perks. I was good at my job, got along well with colleagues and knew I could move up in the company.

Everything was picture perfect on the outside, but on the inside I was dying a slow, miserable death.

Those who visited my office usually noticed that I didn’t decorate or display any personal memorabilia or pictures. The only item that held any value was a Post-It note I had attached to my computer monitor.

On it I had written, “Nothing is really work unless you’d rather be doing something else.” ~ J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan

This tiny yellow square of paper served as my reminder that I could no longer enslave myself to meaningless work. I was tired of my body breaking down from being sick and I was tired of always being stressed.

It’s been said that when we’ve had enough of a situation we’ll take action to remedy what’s not working.

I finally reached that point and here are the reasons I quit:

1. Limited freedom of expression

Despite my title and position I felt like a company lackey. I was working hard to fulfill someone else’s mission, which meant, I wasn’t on my mission. I was working to make someone else wealthier than I was making myself. I felt oppressed.

I thought if I could dedicate this much energy to a corporation, why couldn’t I do that for myself? Clearly, I could succeed at what I wanted if I dedicated the same amount of time to it, right?

2. Too exhausted to focus on my goals

The more effective I became, the more that was expected of me. I felt like I was being penalized for being efficient. My initial 40-hour workweek increased to 60 hours in a very short time. Working 12-hour days left me exhausted with no energy to do anything else or to focus on my own business. I was stressed and worried about the work that was piling up at the office.

3. Uncomfortable pantyhose

In my quest to aggressively climb the corporate ladder I dressed for the position I wanted: I carried Hermes handbags and briefcases, I wore Mikimoto pearls, St. John Knits, Ferragamo shoes and my suits, coats and blouses were Burberry. I spent money to look good and it paid off when it came to promotions, credibility and exposure, but the costs for dry-cleaning and weekly salon visits were expensive. And I won’t mention what panty hose felt like at the end of a long day.

4. Selling my soul

I always felt like I was trading my life for money. As a result of feeling this way, I felt obligated to do something about it and fast. No amount of money was worth that much daily suffering.  I had to act quickly, because I knew that the longer I stayed the more money and perks I would receive;  the harder it would be to leave.

5. Stupid, time-wasting meetings

The upside to meetings was the food. I was more interested in the menu then the agenda. Most meetings were a waste of time, but I did enjoy the desserts – especially the dark chocolate ones.

6. Water cooler small talk

So much time was spent socializing with colleagues about weekend getaways and whatever else was going on in their lives. If we had been paid for results and not time spent at the office, we would have all been more productive and efficient. Interacting with colleagues contributed further to my growing opinion that my job was a major “time dump.”

7. Limited dance time in elevators

The highlight of my day was entering an empty elevator.  Instinctively, I would tap dance until it opened, usually about 30 seconds – how invigorating those precious seconds were! I wanted more of that feeling.

8. Felt like a coward

I knew that time was one of my most valuable assets and that I was wasting a lot of it because of my fears. The closer I got to leaving the more often I had to comfort myself by asking, “What’s the worst that could happen?” The answer was always, “I’d have to find another job.”

Another day I might ask myself, “Do you believe you can find another job?” The answer was, “Yes.”  I had these conversations with myself often until I gathered up the courage to finally announce my resignation.

9. I would never have forgiven myself

To convince myself that I had to leave I started playing this game – I imagined having a dialog with my 80-year-old self.  I had to acknowledge that I didn’t want to turn 80 and have to admit that I had been a coward; that I didn’t take more risks; that I didn’t use my natural gifts and talents. I knew I would not be able to forgive myself if I didn’t try to live a more purposeful life.

When I quit, I didn’t know I was going to tap dance for a living. I understood that to create a meaningful life I was supposed to choose something I loved and something I did well. The only thing that met those two criteria was tap dancing.

In a world where we’re judged by what we do, I wasn’t sure I’d have the guts to say, “I’m a tap dancer.”  My ego wanted to continue to talk about my high-paying position.

I ignored those feelings along with the opinions of those who doubted my decision to leave my corporate job. I knew myself better than they did and I had done the mental work of dealing with my fears, my doubts and the what-ifs. I believed I could handle whatever happened once I quit.

Since then, I’ve had my share of business failures over the past ten years and I’ve even had to borrow against my 401K, purchase a used vehicle, and pay out of pocket for major medical expenses, but the peace I have every day is priceless.

I am a boot-strapper, and I’ve learned to live well within my means. I have de-cluttered my physical and my mental space.  And even though I no longer watch television, I’m still inundated by meaningless sound bites from public monitors, billboards, magazine covers, radio, Internet headlines and advertising in general, but I don’t let it dictate how I choose to live my life.  With so many channels spewing the same one-size-fits-all 9 to 5 ideals, it requires mental muscle to ignore and limit its influence.

I can admit that I still have days when I’m overwhelmed.  That’s when fear and doubts set in. On these occasions, I take a moment to recall the wise words of Martin Luther King, Jr: “Take the first step in faith, you don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

Remembering that quote brings me peace and reminds me that I’ve been taking “first steps” way before I even began my corporate career and I’ll be taking them long after my 80^th birthday – so there’s truly nothing to fear.

“The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.” ~ Arnold Toynbee

Now it’s you’re turn, have you ever quit a good job to pursue your dreams?  Or have you allowed your fears to keep you trapped?