WHAT MOTIVATED ME TO LEAVE MY C LEVEL JOB AND MY COUNTRY !
By: Dr. Syed Masroor H. Shah
Tags: Family Is 4ever, Storyofmylife, Faith In God, Autobiography, Kids Are The Future

Beautiful lawn of the house

WHAT MOTIVATED ME TO LEAVE MY C LEVEL JOB AND MY COUNTRY!

(a journey of self-motivation, family care & love, decision-making, success, failures and betrayals) — (Part -1)

Any action or step that we take needs a strong motivation. Especially when one decides to leave a lifelong career at its peak, it is something very unusual.

When I share my personal story with my friends or new acquaintances, they feel surprised.

How come I left a job at C level where six figure salary was dropping in my bank account every month.

Life was cozy, comfortable and full affordable luxury.

A beautiful house, personal car with lot of money in my pocket.

Every weekend was fully of cheer, joy and boundless happiness.

Every evening was embellished with tea, snacks in our lush green lawn with small water fall in our beautiful lawn.

No unnecessary pains, anxiety or stress in our life. Days were passing smoothly.

Weekend movies, outside breakfast, lunches and dinners, we used to enjoy as family.

Occasional leisure trips to different tourist locations were there too.

Suddenly, all were gone. Because I decided to leave my lucrative position.

What was the motivation for me that took me to the point to decide and leave the job, rather leave my country?

Actually, I have always been restless in finding and exploring new career avenues.

When I got married, my life partner was equally enthusiastic. Ainee, my wife always supported. She proved to be a wonderful friend and advisor. Our decision making was always mutual since the day we entered into the marriage bond.

In fact, I did not stay in one organization for a long time except one bank where I spent 9+ years. Rest of the companies my work span has been 5 years. Reason was raising my learning curve and also raising the career bar.

While I was working with UNDP as Chief of HR, I was thinking of taking own initiative, to be independent in my decisions and moving with business as well as life.

Reasons were: I was involved into different businesses of my father when I was a school going boy. That desire to do own business was always there.

Second, my learning and reading over a period of time gave me awareness about an absolute independence in the businesses.

I was thinking of taking an entrepreneurial initiative at any point.

I still remember when I was living on my last job in UNDP, I and my wife Ainee used to go to different cafes with notebook in our hands. We used to discuss different ideas, jot those down and do some planning how to go for this initiative. Always, the hinderance was social issues coupled with my full time job and living in a comfort zone.

There was a highly unfortunate incident that happened in my country. Terrorists one fine morning stormed into a school and gunned down 150+ precious human souls where maximum number were school children. This incident sent a strong fear down our spines.

The entire country went into a state of shock and extreme sorrow. Beautiful children were mercilessly killed (my eyes are tearful even now). This was unbearable for every parent what to talk of those parents who lost a piece of their heart and soul.

In the aftermath of this incident, all schools in the country were put on alert. There used to be security simulation exercises in schools regularly to prepare the children for any unforeseen situation.

Three of our kids were studying in a school in the country’s capital where the security were tight and security forces were guarding the school outside the gate, rooftops and inside the building. Those were security measures undertaken by the government. But the situation was too scary for the kids and more for the parents.

We used to send our children every day with the prayer to the Almighty Allah to keep them under His protection.

Every day was full of anxiety and stress. While I was in the office, my mind and heart used to be with my kids till the time my wife informed me about their return from the school.

Coming back to my decision of leaving the job, rather leaving my country and moving to totally a new country with no job, no business and no source of income.

I and my wife discussed everything in detail every day, its pros and cons, ifs and buts. In the mean time I had visited Malaysia, our envisioned place of living and educating our children.

I tried to take leave from my Employer but they flatly refused. Even they were not ready to consider my leave that I earned while working with UNDP.

This decision of my employer made it much easier for me and my wife to decide.

But real support and motivation came from my wife when she asked me that if I want to go for a new venture, I should just decide and quit my job, rest we should leave to the God almighty. My Allah (God) has been there with us through all thick and thin.

Our unshakable faith in our Allah provided an increased strength to both me and my wife to proceed with our intended plan.

(To be continued)