It’s not always easy to take a leap of faith when you can’t quite see where you’ll land. For me, I know I’m usually a creature of habit. I get up around the same time every morning, let the dog out, fix my breakfast, let Dixie back inside to eat and make the bed. Riveting stuff. For the longest time, there was no variation to this ritual. Then…life happened.
Y’all, I am so BEYOND happy to announce {or repeat, for those of you who haven’t seen me freaking out all over social media already} that your girl here has a brand new career and a brand new outlook on life. :) Last month, I accepted a position as a staff reporter for our local newspaper. If there’s a job out there that’s more tailor-made for me, I certainly haven’t found it and truth be told, I don’t want to.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamed of a being a writer and reporter. When I was about 8 or so, I “published” my own little paper called the Kaley Khronicles…shout out to my parents for being the only people that read it. Also, I only made one copy of each paper so there’s that, too.
**My groundbreaking articles included the classic “Dad loses his sock” and the very hard-hitting “Mom went to work today.”**
After high school, I briefly attended college for a few semesters and majored in journalism with an emphasis in broadcasting. As time went by, I came to the realization that maybe, just maybe, school isn’t for everyone and maybe, just maybe, I was one of those people. I left college and took a lot of time to travel, work, and quite simply, grow. A few years later, I got married, moved to a small town and have been happily wifing it up ever since.
Sometimes though, an opportunity presents itself that you simply never saw coming. I happened to see a friend had re-posted an ad on Facebook for the job opening at the paper and immediately, I was reworking my resume and printing off examples of my work. Although to some, it’s just a small-town paper, to me, it’s a reminder that passion is important. As cliche as it sounds, work isn’t really work when you love what you do. Taking chances, as scary and imposing as they may seem, can pay off tenfold. You never know unless you try. Truly. If you had told 18 year-old me that I’d be writing for a living one day, I wouldn’t have believed you. I foolishly convinced myself that because I never finished my degree, my dream job was unattainable. Now, I start off each morning with two cups of coffee and a smile on my face.
If things aren’t going the way you’d planned, if you wake up with a sense of dread washing over you and a heaviness on your shoulders, remind yourself–you are the master of your fate, girl. Work hard. Bust your butt. Cling to positivity and never, ever settle for less than what you’re worth. Because trust me; you’re worth so much more than you know.
And if you ever find yourself in a position where you can chase that little bit of happiness, chase it. Feed your soul. Take the freakin’ chance. Yes, you don’t know what’s on the other end of that hurdle. Jump anyway. Even if this specific opportunity doesn’t work out, it may bring you to the one that does. Experiences count. You live them, you learn from them and then you grow with them. If you don’t take that shot, you may end up with a few missed chances and a lifetime of regret. Remember, not everyone’s dreams look the same. What works for Suzie won’t always work for Bobby. Do YOU. You are your own person and you have your own aspirations. Shake off whatever is holding you back. Silence the negativity. If you pray, pray hard. If you don’t, remind yourself that your destiny is still yours. Only you can make it happen.
I’m a firm believer that personal happiness is important. It won’t always last. Bad days are inevitable. I just know I’d rather have my bad days while in a good place in my life than experience those same highs while remaining stagnate.
When it comes down to it, you just gotta close your eyes, take a deep breath, and get on your path. The only thing that’s left to do is run.
-Kaley
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