Who doesn’t love the scene when Bridget Jones quits her job? Not only does she leave her lying, cheating boss (never have an affair at the office!), she is brave enough to start down another career path.

Go Where You Are Appreciated

PERPETUA (the trusty co-worker): I want to listen to this because if she gives one inch I’m going to fire her tiny little bottom anyway for being totally spineless.

DANIEL (the manipulative boss): Well, I think you should know there are lots of prospects here for a talented person … lots of prospects for a person who, you know, perhaps for personal reasons, has been slightly overlooked professionally.

BRIDGET (our feisty friend): Thank you, Daniel. That is good to know, but if staying here means working within 10 yards of you, frankly, I’d rather have a job wiping Saddam Hussein’s ass.

If only we could have all addressed an unpleasant boss or two like that in our time! Toxic workplaces, toxic relationships, no thanks. Tell those users and abusers to go where the sun doesn’t shine.

Speaking Up for Yourself

Speaking up for yourself is not always easy. Sometimes you sit back because you worry you could get in trouble. You aren’t living up to expectations. You don’t think you can do better. Worse, impostor syndrome kicks in.

It’s time to let that thinking go and step outside of your comfort zone.

I was told from a young age I would be a doctor or a lawyer. Apparently, that’s what people expect when you get A’s on your report card. I played along but it felt pushed on me. It wasn’t until one of my best friends got cancer in high school that I actually wanted it for myself. I wanted to support people in need the way her doctors did.

Becoming a doctor was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. The people I cared for, the people I worked with, the things I learned mattered. The problem was the administrative burdens of medical practice. It was toxic. Hospital systems focused more on dollars and cents rather than on the care of the patient. Insurance companies put up barriers that made me duke it out on a regular basis to get even basic care for my patients. It did not take long for me to become stressed, depressed, and burned out. What was more important to me was my well-being and that of my family. So I dared to make a change and walk away from a toxic workplace.

Work Outside of Your Comfort Zone

I left clinical medicine to pursue a different kind of career in medicine.

Did people judge me? You bet! I often heard (and still do), “How can you go through all that schooling and throw it all away?” My answer is simple — I didn’t. I helped a lot of people then and continue to help people now, only now I do it behind the scenes. I fight insurance denials and advocate for patients without using a stethoscope.

When a doctor leaves clinical medicine, they are seen as a failure. Where did their altruism go? How selfish of them! I’ll admit I felt guilty at first, but I don’t anymore. Doctors are undervalued and seen as replaceable in this day of modern medicine, where hospital systems force them to see more and more patients in less and less time. I would rather share my gifts in a more meaningful way and with people who appreciate them.

One of the great things about Bridget throwing her middle finger up to Daniel Cleaver is the sheer symbolism of it. In that moment, she transitions her career from written media to television. She is literally going to speak out and speak up.

She stepped out of her comfort zone and got her voice. I did too. Don’t be afraid to do what’s right for you.