I was nervous, of course, but I never let that stop me. That may be because I watched my father do the same thing. After working for the same corporation for 25 years, he became a real estate agent. It wasn’t difficult for him. I think the reason why is because he never defined himself by his job. He enjoyed his work and it interested him, but he kept himself apart from it in an important way. He didn’t take being let go personally, which made it easier for him to move on.
In hindsight, his willingness to reinvent himself deeply impacted me. If he could do it, so could I.