How long does someone have to sit complacently and idle while they wait for life to stand up and punch them in the face? The answer? They should not have to wait at all. Life is a series of events, a collection of instances that tell the story of someone. I do not want my life's story to be stagnant, waiting around for something opportunistic to come my way...
I had a conversation with my mother today about what the next steps in my life were going to be. It was quite the conversation, as you might imagine. She was not nagging, not threatening nor harsh, but more so, realistic. She said to me (and I'm paraphrasing) that during the past few months that I have been home, my employment search has not been fruitful. It has come across dead ends and leads that seem to fall apart in the end. She explained that everything I have been doing, concerning my potential career, up until this point has not worked and it was time to try something new.
It was an interesting point. What is the use of repeating the same monotonous tasks day in and day out if nothing substantial ever comes from it? Step Three of The Post-Grad Survival Guide is that when circumstances in your life are not yielding the results you originally hoped for, change those circumstances. Take a step outside yourself and look at your life objectively. Like what you see? Because I do not.
Like many people, I want the best for myself. Thankfully, I have a wide array of interests and can point my life in a different direction. In my acting classes, I was always taught to do something different, a different emotion or facial expression or the way I said my lines, during each new take. It kept not only the scene fresh, but also gave the editors a plethora of material to work with in post-production. It's the same idea with life. If something is not working, you have to change it to be successful.
Everyone has lulls in their lives, I am sure, but I am adamant about my lull not lasting long. It's time to change. I have spent so much time in the past reading quotes from books and rehashing lines from movies that preach about seizing the day and doing something worthwhile with my life, that I feel like those phrases only exist in my imagination; but they do not have to. As my readers as witnesses, there is going to be a monumental change coming in my life. And I encourage you all to do the same. If you are not pleased with yourself or are unsuccessful in putting into motion your ambitions, do something drastic. Change your tune. Rewrite your story. Because this is REAL life, not some fantasy movie you are watching on TV. No one wants to look back one day and wonder "what if..."
Go out there and get 'em.
