In a recent LinkedIn post, Shulin Lee shares a deeply personal and challenging piece of career advice she once gave to herself: “You’re not cut out for this.” Lee recounts a pivotal moment at age 27, sitting in a law office and realizing that despite the external validation and perceived correctness of the path, it was fundamentally wrong for her. This realization, she explains, stemmed from a profound fear of mediocrity and a visceral gut feeling that the legal profession was not her true calling.
“I knew I’d be a mediocre lawyer (at best). And mediocrity terrifies me.”
The Painful Decision to Walk Away
Lee details the immense difficulty of this decision, admitting that a part of her still wishes she hadn’t quit. She emphasizes the lack of a backup plan or safety net, relying solely on an instinct that screamed at her to leave. This moment, she reflects, felt like utter failure at the time. However, the post highlights how this act of self-trust, though painful, ultimately led to a more fulfilling career.
“No backup plan. No safety net. Just a gut feeling screaming at me to leave. That moment felt like utter failure.”
Finding the Right Path Through Self-Trust
According to Lee, the decision to leave the conventional path, despite its perceived correctness, was the best one she ever made. She explains that her true calling, recruiting, found her only after she stopped forcing herself into a box that didn’t fit. This experience underscores a key theme in her post: the importance of listening to one’s inner voice.
The Difference Between Patience and Denial
Shulin Lee offers nuanced advice for those experiencing similar doubts. She encourages readers to pay attention to feelings of unease about their career path, to sit with those feelings, but crucially, not to mistake patience for denial. As Lee puts it:
“If something feels off about your path, pay attention. Sit with it. But don’t confuse patience with denial.”
She further elaborates in her post, noting the potential cost of ignoring intuition, stating, “That gut feeling you keep ignoring? It might be trying to save you years.” Lee clarifies that this is not an endorsement for impulsive quitting, acknowledging that it took her years to act on her own gut feeling. However, she draws a clear distinction between thoughtful patience and the self-deception of denial.
Choosing Yourself
Ultimately, Shulin Lee frames walking away from a misaligned path as an act of choosing oneself. The post concludes with a question to her audience, inviting them to share their own experiences of pivotal decisions that changed their lives. This invitation to engage suggests a belief in the power of shared experience and mutual support in navigating difficult career decisions.
“Walking away is how you finally choose yourself.”
Lee’s candid reflection serves as a powerful reminder for professionals at all stages of their careers about the significance of aligning their work with their inner sense of purpose, even when it requires immense courage and a leap of faith.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Shulin Lee on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on July 14, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →