Bit #24: Sometimes it's best to JUMP and follow your heart

Little Life Lesson and Bit of Grace 24: As scary as it is, make sure you are doing what you have a desire and passion for. JUMP and make those things happen.

{Editor's Note: Welcome back Whitney! We are so excited to have you and look forward to all you have to say. I know I speak for all of us...we love you, support you, and know you will be oh so successful.}

“The indispensable first step to getting the things that you want out of life is this: decide what you want.” — Ben Stein

...I love Ben Stein. I swear, the Visine commercials get me everytime.

And come on - "Bueller....Bueller....Anyone....." How can you not crack up?

However, whether you love the man or not you have to agree that his quote hit the proverbial nail on the head.
How can you aim without a target?
Duh. You can't. You'd just be shooting blindly.

And you can't get what you want out of life without first knowing what you are trying to get.I have been struggling with this problem lately. I've felt as though I'm at a standstill in my life. I'm single, no kids and no real attachments except for the fact that I must speak with my mother at least 95846 times. I'm at what I feel like is a crossroads in my career. I've gone as far as I can possibly go within my company; I busted through that glass ceiling a long freaking time ago. So where should I go? What should I do?Should I keep picking glass out of my hair and just stay at my current job? Should I look for a job in an economy where people are pretty much not filling the type of position I'm looking for? Should I go back to school and start a completely new career? How do I know what the right decision is? I could ask for advice from my family and friends but the problem is that I already know the answer.

I once heard that when you ask for advice you're really just asking for a confirmation of what you already know, but don't want to acknowledge. See for me, feeling comfortable and familiar is a big deal. I've stepped out on a limb so many times in my life and fallen hard, so having the familiarity of my current job is a big bonus. Plus, my hours are relatively flexible and that's very important to me. But, I'm not getting anything out of it. I don't ever feel fulfilled at the end of the day; like I made a difference or did something that mattered. And that's important to me. I never wanted to be the type of person who woke up everyday and had to go to work, rather I wanted to be the type of person who woke up everyday excited to go to work. Yet here I am in a job that I hate, working for someone who is a less than desirable boss (trust me, my stories would shock you) and yearning for the weekend with every passing minute. Which is exactly what I always told myself I wouldn't do.

So, here I am on the threshold of a decision. What do I do, where do I go?Well, you know how sometimes you wait too long to make a decision and it ends up being made for you? Anyone? Beuller?Well, last week something happened at work. Something that was my decision maker. You see, my work has been heavily affected by the economy. Business has been terrible and earlier this year my boss was forced to cut our hours, some people more than others. Because of my position in the company I was fortunate enough to keep more of mine than others, but it was still a struggle. Well, last week my hours were cut again.

At first I just wanted to cry. I wanted to pout and whine about my hours and my money (or lack thereof) and make everyone feel sorry for me. Then I realized something: a decision had been made. You know that corny phrase "when one door shuts another opens"? Well, a door was shut and what do you know? It blew another one open for me.

I'm not sure of all the details yet, but I'm going back to school. Just when I thought I'd taken my last college class, God whispered "not so fast" into my ear. I'm going to be an Early Education major with a concentration in Remedial Reading.

To say I'm excited would be an understatement. For the first time in a long time I feel at peace about everything; I feel settled. I have something to work for and I'm going for it with everything I have in me. I know it's not going to be easy, or fun at times but I have never felt better about a decision in my life.

So now I know what I'm working for and what I want and I only wish it hadn't taken me this long in my life to determine that. But I know it was for a purpose....everyone's path is different.

Love,

Whitney