by June Chua

"Now that you have less money, do you find you don't go for that cup of coffee at Starbucks anymore?" The question was being asked in earnest. I replied: "Coffee at Starbucks? I'd rather have it at the donut shop."

If only life had a rewind button, my answer would have been: "My life isn't measured by the number of Starbucks' coffees I've had, but by the quality of time I've gained."

This person had approached me on my first day back at my old office, I was freelancing after quitting my job a month earlier. I became dis-employed.

I know four people who left their jobs last year for various reasons: disillusionment, over-work or just fed up. None of us have regrets. I quit after nine years at a broadcaster working in different locations and jobs. It was time to move on. A minority of co-workers couldn't comprehend why I'd give up a good job, benefits and a pension. Ah, the golden handcuffs. The reality is, I didn't lose much. Quitting has given me a most precious gift: time.

In order to buy my freedom, I spent the past two years keeping a close eye on my money i.e. not walking by shops so I wouldn't buy compulsively. I also don't own a car and live in an apartment. The less I have, the less time I spend trying to window-dress my belongings.

Studies on stress have shown that time pressure is the most pervasive stress there is. A Harris Interactive study two years ago discovered 62 per cent of Americans listed lack of time as their number one source of anxiety. A 2004 Statistics Canada report on stress came up with the same findings. The six-year study said 44 per cent of adults felt time pressure was at the top of the list.

"We work so hard at our jobs that we lose track of why we are doing it," said my friend Alpana, who quit after five years at a prestigious law firm in Toronto. "My job was preventing me from living in the present." After she left last spring, five people from her former company also gave their walking papers.

During her years in law, she worked 80 hours a week while amassing a series of failed relationships. After quitting, she met a guy and recently married him.

When I had a full-time job, I felt sapped of creativity and energy. Since leaving, I have re-discovered my love of writing and recently bought a video camera to shoot a documentary. One person asked me what success would be to me. When I'm writing and I create a turn of phrase that illuminates an idea --- that is victory. While there is no marching band declaring my achievement, my soul is dancing.

I work at home, go to yoga and dance classes and still have money to go out once in awhile. In fact, after gaining weight in the past two years, I've managed to reverse the trend with my increased fitness. The other day, my periodontist pointed out that my gums never looked better. My relationships with family, friends and acquaintances have also improved.

Now that I have the time, I have a lunch date once a month with my friend Cindy, also a writer. We spend the afternoon browsing and having coffee, not at Starbucks.

During one of our sojourns, I said to her: "This feels so good, it should be illegal."

Cindy replied with a tranquil smile: "Oh, but it isn't June and not enough people realize that."