--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was something liberating and…" description: "\"“There was something liberating and terrifying about the first day on a new job. In any new assignment, Bobbie had always had the unsettling feeling th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d99/james-s-a-corey-861_quote_there-was-something-liberating-and-terri_768178.jpg" --- # There was something liberating and terrifying about the… ![“There was something liberating and terrifying about the first day on a new job. In any new assignment, Bobbie had always had the unsettling feeling that she was in over her head, that she wouldn’t know how to do any of the things they would ask her to do, that she would dress wrong or say the…” quote by James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d99/james-s-a-corey-861_quote_there-was-something-liberating-and-terri_768178.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d99/james-s-a-corey-861_quote_there-was-something-liberating-and-terri_768178.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d99/james-s-a-corey-861_quote_there-was-something-liberating-and-terri_768178.jpg) > ““There was something liberating and terrifying about the first day on a new job. In any new assignment, Bobbie had always had the unsettling feeling that she was in over her head, that she wouldn’t know how to do any of the things they would ask her to do, that she would dress wrong or say the wrong thing, or that everyone would hate her. But no matter how strong that feeling was, it was overshadowed by the sense that with a new job came the chance to totally recreate herself in whatever image she chose, that—at least for a little while—her options were infinite.”” [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Starting a new job feels both freeing and frightening, mixing fear of failure with the excitement of reinventing oneself. **In simple terms:** New work brings fear and freedom to reshape yourself. Key Takeaway Embrace the chance to reinvent while managing anxiety. Themes career identity growth fear opportunity Mood anxious excited hopeful Type reflective motivational When to use this quote - first day at work - career transition - personal rebranding - skill development Key Concepts self‑concept risk possibility Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance authenticity with adaptability? - What small steps help you feel competent early on? A Different Perspective The fear of being judged can limit bold experimentation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assignment Bobbie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assignment-bobbie-5943544/) [Bobbie Unsettling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bobbie-unsettling-5943543/) [First Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-day/) [Job Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job-came-1987773/) [New job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-job/) [Terrifying Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrifying-day-5160470/) [Unsettling Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unsettling-feeling-5943545/) ## Related quotes > [It's the most terrifying day of your life, the day the first one is born. Your life, as you know it, is gone. Never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-murray/it-s-the-most-terrifying-day-of-your-life-the-day-the-first-one-is/) [Bill Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-murray/) > [If the right job came along, absolutely with bells on I would work in Sweden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myanna-buring/if-the-right-job-came-along-absolutely-with-bells-on-i-would-work-in/) [MyAnna Buring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myanna-buring/) > [I'm a prostitute. Do you know what, it really is basically I just really like to work! I'm thrilled that there's a variety. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-graae/i-m-a-prostitute-do-you-know-what-it-really-is-basically-i-just/) [Jason Graae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-graae/) > [My cousin knew a manager in the model agency, He offered me a shoot for a Korean brand called Kai-aakmann, and it was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sung-jin-park/my-cousin-knew-a-manager-in-the-model-agency-he-offered-me-a-shoot/) [Sung Jin Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sung-jin-park/) > [I had in effect been thrown out of graduate school because I was a lousy graduate student, and I had to find a job,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-kooser/i-had-in-effect-been-thrown-out-of-graduate-school-because-i-was-a/) [Ted Kooser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-kooser/) > [“New job?” he asked. “New job,” Burton said. “I know you and Erich grew up together. Is this going to be a problem for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/new-job-he-asked-new-job-burton-said-i-know-you-and-erich-grew-up/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [Unfortunately, the Bible won't tell you directly, "Thou shalt take the new job in marketing..." or "Thou shalt go directly from undergraduate school to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/unfortunately-the-bible-won-t-tell-you-directly-thou-shalt-take-the/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [I've never met two guys who're more down on America across the board. We're told everything's going bad. There are 5.2 million new jobs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/i-ve-never-met-two-guys-who-re-more-down-on-america-across-the-board/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [Reforming the way the state works with businesses and providing incentives for employers will help preserve and create new jobs in Massachusetts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/reforming-the-way-the-state-works-with-businesses-and-providing/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [Our economy is on the move and we are creating thousands of new jobs, but we need to keep our foot on the gas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/our-economy-is-on-the-move-and-we-are-creating-thousands-of-new-jobs/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [By reducing our dependence of foreign oil and increasing alternative energy sources such as ethanol, we can begin to bring down prices at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-ryun/by-reducing-our-dependence-of-foreign-oil-and-increasing-alternative/) [Jim Ryun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-ryun/) > [The next day I was put on paid leave from my new job at Louisiana State University. This is very painful to me, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/the-next-day-i-was-put-on-paid-leave-from-my-new-job-at-louisiana/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [Why is Caterpillar bad if we create a new job in India or China to receive U.S. exports? It makes no sense to me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-r-oberhelman/why-is-caterpillar-bad-if-we-create-a-new-job-in-india-or-china-to/) [Douglas R. Oberhelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-r-oberhelman/) > [Growing up with a parent in the army, I saw firsthand the challenges our service members face when transitioning to new jobs after time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/growing-up-with-a-parent-in-the-army-i-saw-firsthand-the-challenges/) [Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/) > [Starting a new job can be nerve-racking , but it's also exciting. You're embarking on a new future, positioning yourself to write a fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adena-friedman/starting-a-new-job-can-be-nerve-racking-but-it-s-also-exciting-you-re/) [Adena Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adena-friedman/) ## More by James S.A. Corey > [“If life transcends death, then I will seek for you there. If not, then there too.” He”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/if-life-transcends-death-then-i-will-seek-for-you-there-if-not-then/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [Violence is what people do when they run out of good ideas. It's attractive because it's simple, it's direct, it's almost always available as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/violence-is-what-people-do-when-they-run-out-of-good-ideas-it-s/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“This was the difference, she thought, between solitude and isolation. And now she knew something about herself she hadn’t known before. It was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/this-was-the-difference-she-thought-between-solitude-and-isolation/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“Oh, I’m not dying out here,” Amos said, and pointed toward the interior of the ship with his chin. “Worst-case scenario, I’m dying inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/oh-i-m-not-dying-out-here-amos-said-and-pointed-toward-the-interior/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“My love is a pure love,” Alex said with a grin. “I wouldn’t sully it by actually, you know, doin’ anything about it.” “The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/my-love-is-a-pure-love-alex-said-with-a-grin-i-wouldn-t-sully-it-by/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“The mech hadn’t been designed for violence, but it was suited for it. That made her and it the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/the-mech-hadn-t-been-designed-for-violence-but-it-was-suited-for-it/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“For another thing, we’re under martial law, so I can do very nearly whatever the fuck I want. Including march through your precious little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/for-another-thing-we-re-under-martial-law-so-i-can-do-very-nearly/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“This attack is the greatest tragedy in human history,” Avasarala said. “They want the belt to rise up so they can hide behind the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/this-attack-is-the-greatest-tragedy-in-human-history-avasarala-said/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“Church of Humanity Ascendant, a religion that eschewed supernaturalism in all forms, and whose theology boiled down to Humans can be better than they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/church-of-humanity-ascendant-a-religion-that-eschewed-supernaturalism/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“Oh good,” Amos replied. “Somebody got killed there. That’s how we claim stuff, you know. This planet is officially ours now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/oh-good-amos-replied-somebody-got-killed-there-that-s-how-we-claim/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“Alamogordo and worked his two-year service stripping down ancient solar electricity stations from the bad old days before fusion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/alamogordo-and-worked-his-two-year-service-stripping-down-ancient/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“But humans hadn’t been living and working in space nearly long enough for the primitive part of the brain not to say, I’ll fall,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/but-humans-hadn-t-been-living-and-working-in-space-nearly-long-enough/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“I like the backup plan better,” Amos said. “Backup plan?” Prax asked. “The backup plan is I grab the first guy we see, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/i-like-the-backup-plan-better-amos-said-backup-plan-prax-asked-the/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“She had seen Holden on the newsfeeds and reports. At the beginning of the war between Mars and the Belt, he had been the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/she-had-seen-holden-on-the-newsfeeds-and-reports-at-the-beginning-of/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“the lizard living at the base of her spine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/the-lizard-living-at-the-base-of-her-spine/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) [Explore all 341 James S.A. Corey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) ## More New job quotes > [Starting a new job can be nerve-racking , but it's also exciting. You're embarking on a new future, positioning yourself to write a fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adena-friedman/starting-a-new-job-can-be-nerve-racking-but-it-s-also-exciting-you-re/) [Adena Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adena-friedman/) > [Growing up with a parent in the army, I saw firsthand the challenges our service members face when transitioning to new jobs after time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/growing-up-with-a-parent-in-the-army-i-saw-firsthand-the-challenges/) [Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/) > [Why is Caterpillar bad if we create a new job in India or China to receive U.S. exports? It makes no sense to me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-r-oberhelman/why-is-caterpillar-bad-if-we-create-a-new-job-in-india-or-china-to/) [Douglas R. Oberhelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-r-oberhelman/) > [The next day I was put on paid leave from my new job at Louisiana State University. This is very painful to me, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-hatfill/the-next-day-i-was-put-on-paid-leave-from-my-new-job-at-louisiana/) [Steven Hatfill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-hatfill/) > [By reducing our dependence of foreign oil and increasing alternative energy sources such as ethanol, we can begin to bring down prices at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-ryun/by-reducing-our-dependence-of-foreign-oil-and-increasing-alternative/) [Jim Ryun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-ryun/) > [Our economy is on the move and we are creating thousands of new jobs, but we need to keep our foot on the gas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/our-economy-is-on-the-move-and-we-are-creating-thousands-of-new-jobs/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [Reforming the way the state works with businesses and providing incentives for employers will help preserve and create new jobs in Massachusetts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/reforming-the-way-the-state-works-with-businesses-and-providing/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [I've never met two guys who're more down on America across the board. We're told everything's going bad. There are 5.2 million new jobs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/i-ve-never-met-two-guys-who-re-more-down-on-america-across-the-board/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [Unfortunately, the Bible won't tell you directly, "Thou shalt take the new job in marketing..." or "Thou shalt go directly from undergraduate school to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/unfortunately-the-bible-won-t-tell-you-directly-thou-shalt-take-the/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [“I forgot what we were celebrating. Because we were always celebrating something, a new job, a new poem, a new love, a new dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-forgot-what-we-were-celebrating-because-we-were-always-celebrating/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [“Inside Critics The critical voices in our own heads are far more vicious than what we might hear from the outside. Our "inside critics"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-ariel-rainbow-kennedy-sark/inside-critics-the-critical-voices-in-our-own-heads-are-far-more/) [Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy (SARK](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-ariel-rainbow-kennedy-sark/) > [If you don't enjoy getting up and working and finishing your work and sitting down to a meal with family or friends, then the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/if-you-don-t-enjoy-getting-up-and-working-and-finishing-your-work-and/) [Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/) > [How'd you communicate?" "Paper and pen. Amazing inventions. Anyway, once we were in Buffalo, I led him here. We couldn't figure out a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/how-d-you-communicate-paper-and-pen-amazing-inventions-anyway-once-we/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [“SCUM will become members of the unwork force, the fuck-up force; they will get jobs of various kinds and unwork... SCUM office and factory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-solanas/scum-will-become-members-of-the-unwork-force-the-fuck-up-force-they/) [Valerie Solanas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-solanas/) > [“Many people object to “wasting money in space” yet have no idea how much is actually spent on space exploration. The CSA’s budget, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/many-people-object-to-wasting-money-in-space-yet-have-no-idea-how/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) [Browse all 388 New job quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-job/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There was something liberating and terrifying about the first day on a new job. In any new assignment, Bobbie had always had the unsettling feeling that she was in over her head, that she wouldn’t know how to do any of the things they would ask her to do, that she would dress wrong or say the wrong thing, or that everyone would hate her. But no matter how strong that feeling was, it was overshadowed by the sense that with a new job came the chance to totally recreate herself in whatever image she chose, that—at least for a little while—her options were infinite.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James S.A. Corey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/there-was-something-liberating-and-terrifying-about-the-first-day-on/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "New job" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/there-was-something-liberating-and-terrifying-about-the-first-day-on/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d99/james-s-a-corey-861_quote_there-was-something-liberating-and-terri_768178.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d99/james-s-a-corey-861_quote_there-was-something-liberating-and-terri_768178.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d99/james-s-a-corey-861_quote_there-was-something-liberating-and-terri_768178.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There was something liberating and terrifying about the first day on a new job. In any new assignment…” — James S.A. Corey", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James S.A. Corey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There was something liberating and terrifying...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/there-was-something-liberating-and-terrifying-about-the-first-day-on/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/there-was-something-liberating-and-terrifying-about-the-first-day-on/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```