To my overworked brother,
I am writing this because I feel there is no better way to get across my opinion about your current predicament than to lay it all out for you to see. Our family has long known that you have been unhappy in your job, but you have our dad's work ethic and seem reluctant to leave a job that has affected not only your relationships but also your lifestyle.
Of course most jobs are time consuming but you seem to have fallen into a job that demands an insane amount of your time and when you aren't working you are traveling too and from work all across the country. Not only does this give you no personal time but it also prevents you from forming friendships and even staying in touch with your loved ones.
It saddens us to talk to you about it because when we do it makes you defensive and shuts you off to us. But it is something that needs to be addressed. In fact nothing made us happier when you told us you informed your boss you were leaving, only for the seeds of doubt to be planted once again in your head and you stayed!
We aren't sure what changed your mind to make you once again go back to a job that made you work and travel for over 60 hours a week...and continuing in this vein can't have any benefits to your health or sanity. So as my last attempt to get you to jump into the great unknown, here are some of the reasons we want you to break free and live on the edge for once.
Firstly, there are so many bad habits that develop from working in a job you hate. Not only can we see it is taking its toll on you physically but the most obvious and upsetting aspect is that it literally consumes everything else. You had a lovely girlfriend who gave you the opportunity to move to London with her and you didn't take it, instead retreating back to the job you knew was always waiting. We know you don't like to talk about this much but in all fairness it seems like you don't like to talk about anything anymore.
By staying at a job you hate for too long you are going to be giving up on your dreams and aspirations. It might sound corny but it is obvious you have settled in this role and we can see it has drained you of your confidence. What you have to realise is that time is finite for us all and you don't want to look back and regret a decade of your life that you spent working.
The reason I wrote this letter is because perhaps it will help you and others in a similar predicament realise that this job is keeping you from the life you deserve. You are a good man who deserves to be happy, God knows you have worked hard enough for it. You are in your early 30s and you should be at your happiest and most confident, rather than going through a daily grind just so you can move onto the next day. I hope you can finally see you have more potential than you think, you just need a kick up the arse and a leap of faith.
All my love,
Your little brother
