I want to start by saying that, although this title is one of the most cliché sayings out there, just remember that dreaming doesn’t have to stay in your sleep. Like most other college grads, I moved home from school, I was then 23 years old, and I had a hole in my pocket about as deep as I am tall. I went back to serving tables because if there is one thing I can do better than consuming food and drinks, it’s selling it. But that occupation started to run me dry–so I looked around for some 9 to 5 options and landed on an Insurance gig.
Now, I did learn from the opportunity I was given over the past couple years. I absorbed the ins and outs of a world that I knew absolutely nothing about, and I am thankful to have that info locked into my mental time capsule. But there was an itch I just couldn’t seem to graze—and I’m not referring to the one you get from sitting in pantyhose for 8 hours in a leather chair. It was something more than that.
I realized now that I am almost 26; there is nothing that I should scratch off my list because it may not work out, or because I am scared of losing some stability. When you start to feel like you are holding back the shiniest parts of you that are eagerly waiting to gleam, it’s time to get out the tarnish eraser and let it shine girl. Now what this ah-ha moment was for me, is surely bound to be different than what gets you rarin’ on the inside—but it is my dream and I am about to press play on it.
I decided I was going to quit my job, and go after my vision of working in the chaotic world of advertising. Self-doubt has happened often since I made the leap from my job in Insurance, and another popular saying “don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” started to form a whole new meaning for me. The story goes as follows: I put in my two weeks and was working through my last days in the office, when I decided to take the recycling out of the back door. I returned inside like I have one hundred other times and ended up catching my heel in the doorframe. 12 stitches, some not-so delicate words & a dose of antibiotics later, it was then that I realized—when they say, “don’t let that door hit you,” they are not playing around.
I didn’t allow that miniscule hiccup stop me. I enrolled in a specialized school to pursue my writing career as a Copywriter. I have recently resurrected my trusty ol’ waitressing uniform to work hard and be nice to myself for a change. It was time to do what I needed and act on what made ME feel good about my life.
We have to stop thinking that it is selfish to go after what feels right, because the only person being hurt by staying stagnant is you.
From a young age, I always knew that I wanted something different. I desperately wanted something exciting, challenging and to be surrounded by people who not only accept my quirky ideas, but morph with them to create something even more sensational. I am not there yet, but I’m thinking the road I have yet to travel will have some new lessons to offer– & that is a road I’m willing to ride.
Written By: Hayley Sutherland