Stay afraid, but do it anyway

I'm better off than a lot of people. Although no reminders are needed, I received one yesterday. I'm off this week, so a good friend and I went on an adventure to Washington D.C. On the way, we noticed that several homeless people were asking for change at the stoplights. We gave money, but both knew that a few dollars was not going to change the dire situation of the poor. Fast forward to now and I'm writing this blog in a warm house that I share with my love and our dogs.

I'm thankful for everything I have in my life.  I'm not entitled to a warm house, food in the fridge and money in the bank. Regardless of financial standing, misfortunes can strike all of us. Losing a job, being diagnosed with a health condition, taking care of a family member can all create havoc in your life and wallet. In my 20s, I had 2 out of the 3 situations impact my life. I'm security conscious by nature, but dealing with the seriousness of those issues early in my professional career, heightened my desire for a stable, risk averse life.

My current gig is my safety net. The firm is stable, treats me well, and affords me a comfortable lifestyle. Unfortunately, my role is not fulfilling and has not been for some time. The talents that I am most proud of, are not leveraged. I tried to branch out in several ways, but the fact remains that I am stagnant. Complacency has set in, and I have two options to deal with it.

Option 1 - Lock the golden handcuffs. Stay at the firm. Continue to be good, but not great. Make peace with being a contributor, not a change agent.

Option 2 - Stay afraid, but do it anyway. Take a calculated risk. Take my passions, skills and a deep breath. Leap to something new.

On the day of Carrie Fisher's passing, I will use her quote to state my decision. "Stay afraid, but do it anyway." R.I.P. A lot of us looked up to you. You showed that a princess can be a warrior.