Hey there,

Last month felt like a rollercoaster, filled with full-circle moments that I could easily dedicate an entire edition to it. And I've shared many of these moments with you already, but there's a crucial part of my life that I haven't quite known how to break to you: I left my job.

I never quite understood how I ended up at ING in the first place. I was the only applicant without a master's degree, getting rejected from every position related to my previous experiences, and had the most bizarre interview process in my life.

When I was selected though, I couldn't join the team immediately because my citizenship wasn't finalized yet—and they waited for me. With every reason not to be chosen, they picked me, and even after receiving other job offers, something told me to choose them - the higher salary and a potential trip to Australia might have had something to do with it…

My years at ING shaped my perspective of myself and my future in countless ways. If I now have a clear vision of where I want to go in the next 3-4 years, it's because ING allowed me to explore various areas and sectors, helping me understand myself better. And let's not even start on the fantastic people I met along the way. Over the years, I heard so many friends complain about toxic work environments, bad managers, and lack of support, and I happily couldn't empathize with any of that because ING was truly an amazing place to be.

But more than that, I had a really interesting realization.

I never understood when people talked about the hardships of leaving a comfort zone. Whenever I moved forward in life, it was always quite easy. When I came to Italy, when I graduated from college, when I left the music industry to join banking—each time was a relief because I was always struggling in some way, making the current situation impossible to sustain—so change for me was always easy. Change was always coming from a place of discomfort, and therefore was liberating. But this time was different. I was happy in ING. I was growing, and I was quite satisfied. For the first time, I had a comfort zone. And for the first time, I understood how hard it is to actually leave it.

Don’t get me wrong, I know it was the right decision for me, but that doesn't mean it was an easy one.

Sometimes, making the (hard) decision to move on can be the best way to show appreciation and gratitude for the period you are currently living - if it no longer fits you.

With love,

Micael.