He quit cold turkey. Just came into work and said, I am going, I am out of here, settle my dues.

Last night I asked him why he would make a hasty decision and did he realize the ramifications of it all.

He said he just couldn’t find the energy to get up and go to work, he had no respect for his bosses, there was a ganging up at all levels and he was being sidetracked and that was it.

I said, so, what’s new, happens every day in every office, there is always politics and you have to learn to navigate those treacherous waters, it won’t be any different anywhere else, what makes you think there are no crocodiles where you are going.

He said he had no other job, he just wanted out, is that so tough to understand, yes, now he would scout around.

Thing is, he did it on principle. That has to be worth something. That is a bad word because it inhibits you and stops you from being exploitative. If you have no principles as such and survival is your only motive then you can use so many options to survive. You don’t have to be popular. You can be a lapdog. You can snitch on your colleagues. You can intrigue, plot, scheme, form little groups in the workplace and still come out smelling good. A lot more people these days find it easier to justify their attitude of complete indifference to values. Their approach is there is a system and we have to take advantage of the system not the other way around. With technology comes a contempt for the traditional traits like honor and honesty and the right thing to do for the right reasons. They call it the killer instinct.

That is why loyalty is a casualty. It is wasteful and even those who pretend to it are often doing the dirty.

Scruples come in the way. Like they did with this man who walked out because he could see what was happening. There was hanky panky going on, things were not upfront and clean, the long knives were out and dragging himself to work had begun to harm his health.

It can happen to you. You suddenly realize that this is not worth it, that whatever else happens down the road you have got to get off this bus. Remember when the door shuts a window opens.

If you are miserable don’t use the old copouts of family and schooling and house rent and loans, those are constants, you are making your family miserable by being miserable. Don’t put it on the kids, they don’t want your martyrdom, get out, mate, and walk tall.

Easier said than done. Not really, because in life, nothing is smooth and the world does not owe you a living. And if you spend your work day steeped in silent rage, angry and depressed and hurting and feeling everything is unfair you will harm your health, believe me, the co-relation is direct.

And if something does go wrong no one will come to your rescue, no medals, no help, nothing. So, don’t ever be miserable and unhappy to the point where it affects you and your work.

This morning, as I started writing this piece I called the man on his first day of ‘freedom’ and I said how do you feel?

He said, uncertain, elated, confused, unsure, happy, relieved, ready for the future, keen to get on, no regrets but some doubts, but it ‘s done and dusted and there is no going back.

That is the key word: there is no going back.