New Year, New Opportunities

Life is a never-ending set of winding stone paths...

The question is, which path do we take? 

I'm not trying to give anyone an existential crisis or anything, but this seems to be the predicament that I'm in. 

I've been working hard to find opportunities for my career. Applying left and right to openings on LinkedIn... but there are two things that seem to be holding me back:

1. My education (lack thereof)

2. My inexperience

Most positions want 3+ years of experience and a bachelor's degree. Currently, I have neither. 

I'm one of those people that feel that a college education isn't wholly necessary to be successful in life. 

Even so, I can't help but kick myself for not knowing what I wanted to do... and dropping out of college only a semester in (I was also pregnant with my first at the time- I had terrible morning sickness). 

BUT if I really take a step back and look at things, the ROOT issue is my lack of confidence. 

I don't think I'm a bad writer, but not everyone will like my work...

I'm a fast learner, but is there even someone willing to teach me...

There are a lot of variables in life that make us think, "is this worth it?"

I WISH I KNEW

I'm sure we've all felt this way, and the only thing that keeps any of us going is the 'hope' that things will turn out okay. 

Hope is paralyzed by fear. And frankly, I am afraid.

What if I can't prove my value anymore.

What if I fail, again.

And these thoughts are amplified with the fact that I'm the sole supporter of my family. 

I'm not the only one affected if something goes wrong. Everyone is relying on me.

BUT I'm not trying to be negative. It's just a reality of life. 

And I have tons of reasons to be thankful... I just needed to remind myself where my fear is coming from and recognize it so I can move on. 

And embrace opportunities, even if they go sour. 

Speaking of opportunities, I have the chance to work with an Art Gallery to promote their events and exhibits.

In exchange, they offered me a reduced commission price if I wanted to submit my work. And the owner suggested I hold a demo to talk about my work to help with sales. 

Holding a demo and painting in front of strangers isn't something I've ever done before, but he's offered to instruct me. 

I think it's worth giving it a shot. Learning from a gallery owner and presenting myself in a gallery setting...

Even if I don't sell anything, it'd be silly not to take the chance.

Cheers to the New Year and New Opportunities! 

It's better to regret ever taking the chance than it is to regret not doing anything at all.