On paper, I had everything.
I was 29, making good money at a tech company in Austin. I had a 401k, a standing desk, unlimited PTO that nobody actually used, and a job title that sounded impressive at parties.
But Sundays were the worst.
Every Sunday evening, a wave of dread would hit me. I would lie on the couch staring at the ceiling, trying to mentally prepare for Monday morning standup. A meeting where I was supposed to sound excited about things I did not care about.
I kept changing jobs, thinking the next one would fix it. A better title. More money. A company with a ping pong table.
Nothing worked.
The moment I realized something had to change
It was 2 AM in a corporate apartment in a city I did not want to live in. I had just accepted my fourth job in three years. Another promotion. Another raise. And I felt nothing.
No excitement. No relief. Just emptiness.
I called my mom. Not because I wanted advice, but because I did not know who else to call.
She listened. Then she said something I still think about:
“You keep trying to build a life that looks right from the outside. But you are building it with tools that do not work for you anymore.”
A weird purchase that changed my perspective
A few weeks later, I was scrolling on Etsy and found a listing for a Career Success Talisman from a shop called Gentlwish. It said something about finding clarity during career transitions.
I laughed and closed the tab.
Then I reopened it and bought one anyway. I was desperate.
When it arrived, it was just a small piece of paper folded up. Hand-written with red ink. I almost laughed again. This tiny thing was supposed to help me figure out my life?
But I put it on my desk. Every morning, before opening my laptop, I would look at it and ask myself one question:
“What would I do today if I was not afraid?”
That question hit different.
What actually happened
I did not have some dramatic breakthrough. I did not suddenly manifest my dream job.
But slowly, day by day, that talisman reminded me that I had a choice. I did not have to stay on the path I had been running on since college. My worth was not tied to my paycheck.
I started having honest conversations with myself. What did I actually want? What was I scared of? What would I regret not trying?
Six months later, I quit.
Not to travel the world or start some lifestyle business. I quit to work for a small nonprofit doing work I believed in. My salary dropped by more than half. And for the first time in my adult life, I slept peacefully.
What I tell people when they ask
I still have that talisman on my desk. It is worn and faded now.
People ask if it “worked.” Here is my honest answer: the talisman did not make the decision for me. It did not hand me a better job. What it did was give me permission to stop running.
It reminded me that I was allowed to want something different. That courage is not about not being scared. It is about moving forward anyway.
If you are sitting at your desk right now feeling that familiar Sunday dread, I want you to know: you are not stuck. You are just scared. And that is okay.
Sometimes the smallest thing is what finally helps you take the first step.
Browse Gentlwish Career Talismans — hand-drawn, blessed, and shipped with a quiet wish that you find your way.
I’ve been there.