Well, it’s Friday, and this is the post I’ve been waiting all week for. I’ve been sitting on this decision for about six years, though I didn’t know it. Let me rewind for a minute.
I started college at the University of Florida as an English major, hoping one day to become a college professor. Reality set in too soon unfortunately, and the fear that I wouldn’t make it brought me to a standstill in my dream. I hurriedly changed majors to Education, which I quickly realized was not for me. Not the elementary or middle school part of it anyway. I didn’t branch into the high school side of things at that point in my life.
The summer before my Sophomore year I made one last change into Telecommunications – Production. I would then spend the next three years writing scripts, making movies, and spending hours in the editing lab. I realized quickly that the only aspect of the degree I really enjoyed was writing scripts.
After graduation I spent just shy of two years working at a radio station in sales, not quite loving it, not quite hating it, but always feeling like I was missing something.
And then I moved to Jacksonville and couldn’t find a job.
I’m a pretty anxious individual, so this stage of my life is rather terrifying. But then my husband and mother-in-law talked me into something I never thought I would seriously consider again: grad school.
I’m 24, still young to most, but old to me, and 24 is a terrifying age to decide to go back to school. I just got married, we still have a car payment (okay, I still have a car payment, but what’s mine is his, right?), my husband is going back to school next year, is it really a good idea for me to go back now, too?
That answer, I think, would be different for all of us. For me, it was a yes.
(Side note: if you haven’t read Amy Poehler’s book Yes Please, stop what you’re doing and go get it. Right now.)
Life is full of opportunities to take risks. For people like me, it’s a very unnatural thing to do. I like safety. I like knowing where my paycheck is coming from and what I’m doing this weekend and how much money we can spend on groceries each month. Taking a risk like this is not really in my character, but if I want to love my career, then it’s a necessary step.
I don’t know how this is all going to pan out. Heck, I might not even get in. But fifteen years from now, when I look back at my life, I’m not going to regret this chance I took.
If you’re staring a choice in the face right now, what decision will make you proud fifteen years from now?
[You can follow me on Twitter at @tclem91. Comment below if you have any future post requests or if you have a choice to make and you’re not sure what to do. I’m not a psychologist, but I’m a decent listener.]
This Stage of Life 