It’s official. I am submitting a request for an unpaid leave of absence from my job as a speech-language pathologist. I love my job. I love the kids. I am blessed with amazing co-workers. Yet here I go, stepping into 2020 and a whole lot of unknowns.
I graduated from Northwest Nazarene University in 2005 with a degree in Fine Arts and was absolutely unprepared to make it as an artist. I wasn’t ready. Over the last 15 years I have slowly been shaped and molded by life and little opportunities. There isn’t a single point where I can say “that’s when things changed”. It’s more of a dawning realization that has grown over the last two years that this is the time. I don’t feel nervous about cutting off my consistent paycheck. I feel excited!
And the cherry on top? I’m going to be home with my kids. My daughter told me she misses me when I have to go to work and I was so relieved to tell her I won’t have to go next year. It will be her last year before she starts kindergarten. It goes too fast.
I’ve never blogged before so don’t expect consistency. I do want to put this journey out there though. According to Gretchin Rubin, I’m an obliger. I readily meet external expectations and struggle to keep internal ones. So this is part of my external accountability. I haven’t put myself out there quite like this. I haven’t been afraid of failure, oddly enough. I’ve been afraid I would succeed! And that means change! But I know myself better now. I have a clear vision. I’m ready!
Here we go…