I am taking an online course called “Living the 8 Limbs of Yoga” with Janet Stone right now. The second week was dedicated to Satya, “truthfulness”, and it was released to us the students the day I turned in my resignation at work.

Around the same time, I heard somebody state: “It’s always better to look for a job while you still have one.” It wasn’t said to me directly and the person saying that wasn’t aware of my circumstances, so I just privately found that amusing. Is it always better? Always better?

Needless to say, many people have to be continuously employed to make ends meet for themselves and loved ones. It’s a luxury and privilege to be able to take a sabbatical like I do.

Another disclaimer, ever since looking for a job after grad school, I haven’t tried getting back into workforce after an employment gap. Even though I think it would be pretty easy for me (which in itself is a privilege if true), I don’t know.

Having said that, I resigned twice before, this time being the third, and this feels so much better, because there so much less lying and sneaking was involved. Socially acceptable lying and sneaking, but lying and sneaking nonetheless. All that with taking breaks for phone interviews, taking breaks to fill in forms, taking days off for on-site interviews while telling often friendly and trusting coworkers that I am just taking a long weekend or “have an appointment” (technically true, but you know what I mean).

One can say that it’s just work and how it’s done, but, while gainfully employed, I spent most of my time with coworkers and as such in relationships with those people. The vast majority of those people treated me well. Essentially lying to them was a burden to carry.

While I may have to carry that burden again at some point, will certainly be untruthful in other ways a lot, may come to suffer some consequences, it felt liberating to not have to lie this time. It felt lighthearted to simply say: “I’m not going anywhere. Just taking a break.” In that sense, this was better.