Make it Happen.

I was always told I could do anything that I wanted.  Growing up, there were never any walls or ceilings placed around what I could do with my life, except that it had to be something.  There was never any question about that.  The one stipulation put on me was that I had to make it happen.  I was the one who was going to get myself on the road to success, and no one else could put me there.  I was never, ever spoonfed anything, and I am very grateful for it.  Having that upbringing has made it so I have worked hard for everything I have achieved.  If there was something I wanted, I worked hard, and usually I got it.  I still believe that I can make things happen to this day.  I don't think that just because I'm almost 30, I should settle into the life I have now.  I don't ever want to settle for anything.  If there's something about my life that I don't like, I want to change it.  I want to make it happen.

I am a firm believer that wherever your focus is, you will move in that direction.  If I am looking at my current situation, saying, "Man, I am a stay-at-home mom, which I never planned to be, and I am not teaching anymore," and wallowing in self-pity for all the things that are missing in my life, then I am looking in the wrong place!  Yes, I am a stay-at-home mom.  No, in my idealistic young eyes, I didn't ever want to be one.  Does that mean that I am settling for a life I didn't want?  NO!  However much I miss teaching and speaking with adults on a daily basis, I must look at my situation in a positive light.  I absolutely love being a SHM, surprisingly.  There are things in my life that I miss though, and instead of feeling bad for my lot in life, I am looking toward things that can change my situation.  Right now, I am working hard to make something happen.

Right now, as many people already know, I am writing my first novel.  I have always loved writing, and I think I am fairly adept at it.  I also have an interest in teen fiction, being a middle school teacher, and a fan of it myself.  So, I decided to write my own teen fiction novel, and it is really coming along!  I am more than a third of the way to finishing my first draft, and so far, and I am really happy with what I have written.  I want to turn my writing into cash, and more than that, I want to turn it into inspiration for teen girls.  At 114 pages, it is definitely a start toward something big.  I believe that I can achieve publication of my book, and the power of belief goes a LONG way!

When I was 18, I graduated from high school with just about nothing.  I supported myself for the last year and a half of school, with the help of some wonderful people, and I wanted more for my life.  I didn't want to get stuck working in a grocery store for the rest of my life.  I wanted to be a teacher.  My career counselor told me of a university in another city that had a fantastic program, so I found a way to get there.  I applied for student loans, I found a place to live, and I began my university career.  I did the entire thing by myself, and I even worked through most of it.  It was hard, but I had a goal, and I achieved it.  I got my degree, and I convocated with distinction.  I proved to myself that if I wanted something, I could make it happen.  I had no other choice. 

There are so many people who find themselves in circumstances that are less than what they envisioned for their lives.  I think the vast majority of people find themselves stuck.  The thing is, if you want something more, you're the only one who can make it happen.  You have to take a step toward your future, even if it's only one step.  If you're stationary, you can't go anywhere, right?  If you don't do something, nothing will change.  I am in a spot that I don't want to be in for the rest of my life.  I want to make a career out of writing, and eventually go back to teaching.  I would like to be financially secure someday, and pay off all those student loans I incurred during university.  I don't have everything I want in my life, and I'm pretty sure I will always want more.  One thing I know is that if I don't make a move, I'm not going to make it happen.  No one else is going to do it for me.  No one's going to hand me a stack of money and make my life easier.  No one is going to publish a book that hasn't been written.  I have to get it done.  So, just like when I went to university, I am working toward finishing this book and then publishing it.  I don't have hours and hours to sit and write every day; some days I have maybe ten minutes, but I'm getting there.  You better look for my name on the bookshelves someday!

So, my point in this post is that we are the only ones who can make anything happen in our lives, which I'm sure you already figured out.  Well, what are you waiting for?  Make it happen in your life today!