Risky? You Betcha!

I woke up this morning with a charged expectancy…the promise of a new beginning! I’m a little nervous, having spent the last five years with certain employment. A regular paycheck is not to be undervalued in this economy. But, when the trade off becomes too much to bear, then it’s time to take the leap and reach for something more.

I’ve spent the last three of these five years living away from home much like a soldier in the Army. This has provided me with some valuable space for reflection, creativity (I wrote Cosette’s Tribe!) and appreciation for my family. Having stepped away from my regular life I’ve seen from a distance what that life looks like, and I miss it. I miss my husband’s steady companionship and my little dog, who after three years of me being gone still greets me at the door with squeals and twirls, thinking that I’m home to stay. She’s going to very happy.


It’s the ordinary things that pad my life with meaning and it’s the routine of living side by side with my family that I crave. Existing away from these simple pleasures has made them sparkle with an enticing newness.

I have some plans for myself; some new stuff to do. Sure, I still have to make money, and I have a plan for that too, but I also have a novel to get published and another to complete. I have some new friends to make, and exciting places to go. Although my plan is a little sketchy right now, my heart is eager for this new beginning.

These days there’s been a shift in our economy…and the old ways of making a living. Gone are the days when companies provide excellent benefit packages, long-term employment, and stock incentives. Americans are finding that they must provide for themselves a security package. This package includes faith in our abilities and gifts, the boldness to strike out and pursue a dream, and the stamina to see the thing through.

So…it’s closing time. I’m packing up my belongings and saying my goodbyes. The sun has set on this chapter of my life and is rising in determined optimism on the next. Is it risky? You betcha! But the risk of missing out on that dream is far more frightening than the risk of failure. I can always get a job in my field but I may never have another chance at making my dreams come true.

“And the day came when the risk it took to stay tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” Anais Nin