I admitted that it was entirely my fault. 

I'd picked my college major because of its potential salary and public appeal ("Computer Science?? You must be smart!"), instead of researching and choosing what I was naturally good at and could "light my fire" for several decades. One might think that I had no good reason to feel this way. It was a great company that offered fantastic compensation and training. I was the youngest officer in a prestigious company. But I knew something critical was missing and I spent virtually every day trying to understand what change I could make which would free my mind and spirit.

I visited career counselor after career counselor and took all of the usual tests. I was slowly spending a fortune, yet I wasn't getting any answers. I was convinced that I was alone and completely different from everyone else in the world.

Being in the wrong career finally reached a limit. While working in the UK for my firm, I had a full-blown meltdown. 3 months of panic attacks, deep depression, you name it.  It was a blessing in disguise. I could hardly pull myself together.

Finally, I decided that "enough is enough".

I had at last understood the meaning of the phrase: "life is not a dress rehearsal". I knew the time had come to follow the Gellert edict: "Live as you will have wished to have lived when you are dying."

I had decided that I would quit my corporate job and look for something that would truly bring me satisfaction in life. Within days I had decided that coaching rowing was what I wanted to do, and a couple of days later I had turned in my resignation. It was an extremely difficult decision. I was abandoning financial security and earning the wrath of my incredulous family. But with one life to live, I decided I was going to live it. Soon I left for the UK to become part of the coaching team at the pinnacle of collegiate rowing, Oxford University.