If one thing is certain, it’s that things will always change. Nothing stays the same, regardless of whether or not we want it to. And if things DO stay the same for too long, then you’re probably not challenging yourself.

Consider the saying: Life begins at the end of your comfort zone

It truly does. And regardless of fear, anxiety or judgement from my peers, I am going to take the next step and chase some dreams I’ve always wanted to chase. Tomorrow, my whole career path will change drastically.

A few weeks ago, I made the very difficult decision to step down from my role as an executive director for the YMCA and go to work for a commercial real estate developer. It has always been my dream to work in real estate development and investing, but I never had the courage to do it.

Why?

I’m not really sure. Self-doubt. Not enough education in that space. No experience in the industry. Fear. Comfort in my current job. I could probably come up with a thousand reasons why I never went for it. And although they are likely just cop-outs or excuses, they are still MY reasons.

In March 2020, the world spiraled into chaos as everyone tried to adjust quickly to our “new normal”. The pandemic hit us and very few of us came out unscathed. Or perhaps “scathed” and “unscathed” aren’t quite the right terms. For some, the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent quarantine/shutdown were life altering in terrible ways. People lost jobs, homes, loved ones and most importantly…. hope. People lost hope.

Others fared very well through it all. I would be lying if I told you that I wasn’t one of them. Thanks to my amazing senior leaders at the Tampa Y, my team and I were able to continue working and continue receiving our pay checks. We had the honor and privilege of caring for the children of first responders and other essential workers so they could go save the world.

If you’ve never worked with children (because Lord knows I never had), you should know that it is truly life-changing. Although the world believes that it is the caring adults and teachers that are making an impact on the kids, I think it goes both ways. Those kids had an impact on me in ways I never knew would be possible. They challenged my patience, my nerves, my thought processes, how I respond to external stimuli and basically, my entire view of the world. They made me a better person and gave me a different perspective on how to live my life in service to others and to myself and my family.

My colleagues and I all had very different experiences during the shutdown and the relief childcare that we provided. But we all knew that it was important to share those experiences with one another and talk it through with anyone who needed support. We spent time on Zoom happy hours and phone calls and other “socially distanced” means of communication, just to check in on one another and make sure that we were not also losing hope.

I am and will always be indebted to the YMCA for being an organization that can change your life. I spent 15 years helping them change lives for the better and in the end, they really changed mine. They’ve carried me through some of the hardest times of my life – when my house burned down, when my dad died 6 days before my wedding and now when I want to chase some new dreams. I’ve received nothing but support and love from everyone at the Y. It’s so good to know that someone is in your corner when you need it most.

So tomorrow, I start my new gig. I am excited, terrified, anxious, happy, sad, nervous… Probably every single emotion on the spectrum. But the fact that I feel this way tells me that it’s a good and meaningful change. It is not a change for the sake of “switching things up”. Nor is it a change because a bridge has been burned. It is simply an opportunity to challenge myself, learn new things and grow. It is COMPLETELY outside of my comfort zone and I think that’s why it’s a good move.

In closing, I want you ask you if you’ve challenged yourself lately? Have you done something uncomfortable because you knew it would help you grow?

If not, I highly encourage you to do so. It might not be a massive shift in your career path or a move to a new city or state, but it should be meaningful. Find something that’s been nagging you and finally take the time to fix it, change it or overcome it. I think you’ll be glad that you did!

If you’re scared (I am, too), then send me a message and let’s chat! ALSO – Check out my podcast episode on overcoming your fear of failure. ❤ I hope it helps!

Blessings and love,

JB 🙂