My consciousness has received a lot of attention in the last few years. Being the introverted hermit that I am, most of my time is spent alone. On top of that, my excessive use of marijuana has lead me to spend a lot of time in deep reflection.

A quote from Mr. Bob Marley: “When you smoke herb, it reveals you to yourself. All the wickedness you do is revealed by the herb. It is your conscience and gives you a clearer picture of yourself.” I believe there is a lot of truth to this. A lot of times after smoking, I will recollect something deep in my past, and analyze the way I reacted and the choices I made. Simply, it leads me to finding the root of a problem.

I believe that imbedded in every human is a complex value system that is common among every race. I think that those who have made many unethical decisions have simply become comfortable with ignoring their inner voice.

My father is a very ethical man, and growing up in his presence made me really curious about my inner voice. At this point, my gut feelings are the driving force in my decision making. It is usually relatively easy for me to make decisions, as I have just gotten used to doing what feels right. I have also become very focused on what some people call vibes, in which someone almost seems to radiate a positive or negative attitude. I usually just try to avoid people who give off negative vibes.

I often must ignore my brain when it is in conflict with my gut feeling, as many of the decisions I make are illogical.

Around this time last year, I was hired by a private landscaping company. I was enthusiastic to start to working outside, and get a chance to seem some beautiful areas of Kelowna, as my boss targeted higher-end clients.

Things were going great, and I really was enjoying the job. The pay was about $9 an hour, yet most landscaping jobs advertised in newspapers were paying about $10 or $11. I didn’t mind though, because I really got along well with my boss, and I always felt a positive vibe from her.

Two or three months down the road, she started hiring more people. I could see that she wasn’t really managing her business well, yet spirits remained high. One incident in which she backed up into a clients vehicle became a defining moment. Not only did she refuse to leave a note, but she told us not to tell her husband. An unethical decision that ultimately changed my perception of her. . Later, I found that she was overcharging customers ridiculous amounts, and refusing any chances for staff raises. Something was wrong with the formula. Underpaid landscapers working for a company focusing on high-end homes.

After a week in which my boss was on edge more than usual, she ended up firing an employee. This employee was a hard worker, and had no idea that he was going to be fired. On top of this, our boss knew his financial situation, and didn’t even consider giving him two weeks to find a new job, let alone a second chance.

When I found out that Josh had been fired, my attitude changed completely. I was broke, and had very little money. I had no prospects for a new job. I had been out of work for over three months. I enjoyed the work, and got along well with the staff and my boss. There were opportunities for promotion. I could have at least gave two weeks notice.

But I had to make a statement. I couldn’t continue to let her think that employees were an invaluable part of the company. This is the part where my brain shuts up.

I called 15 minutes before my shift and quit the job. The very next day, the City of Kelowna posted a number of jobs for its parks department, in which I applied and was hired at almost $14 an hour.