Jonathan Acuff

Jonathan Acuff is a Christian comedy writer who started the blog stuffchristianslike.net website which was eventually turned into a book. I listened to him read the audio version of the book before I started reading the blog. He has gone from unemployed, to serial job quitter, quitting or losing 8 jobs in 8 years, to proffessional author and speaker. This leads me to my first point. The three of us either individually or as a team are prepared to come speak to you or at your event for money. Our schedules may not be as free as you might think so book early. We are skilled and experienced in leading Bible studies, devotionals, preaching sermons, panel discussion and more...

Acuff recently released a book called Quitter, where he extols the virtues of his new boss, christian financial guru Dave Ramsey, and explains how to close the gap between your day job and your dream job. I read the first free chapter: He talks about how we often think that we have to quit our job to get our dream job or be able to do what we really want to do. He argues no, that quitting your job is a bad move because, now instead of have that one boss you don`t like and those 7.5 - 8 hours of meaninglessness, unemployment is a move to a million bosses: like the telephone bills, your spouse, your parents, your inlaws, grandparents, and all those household chores that you don`t want to do etc. Everyone, who previously nodded approvingly at your meaningless soul sucking life and left you alone, is now giving you advice, asking about your progress, checking in on you, demanding a list of the daily activities etc. Acuff argues that unemployment is not a ticket to your dream job it is train to financial wreck and even more meaninglessness.

I resonate with this. I found the stress of not have a job and my perception of the expectations on me to get one so overwhelming that I literally was non functional and did nothing for a week. Jet lag probably didn`t help and I didn`t actually do nothing but it was not a good week. I didn`t do the things I want to do when have time off because I felt guilty for not looking for a job and I didn`t look for a job because I find job hunting so stressful and I didn`t have the emotional energy yet. I am very tempted to find take a shitty job for shitty pay for the next two months so people don`t ask me if I have a job or give me unsolicited job searching advice. It will have no long term benefit, but it would lower a particular stress. Both the real and perceived, potentially imaginary expectations of other people I can find very stressful. My friends and family ought to know that whatever normal people do is not going to be what I do...

I continue to feel the need to individuate, to move far enough away that no one can help us and prove I can cope perhaps most of all to myself...