The Big Joke Was Thinking the Government Was My Future. It Was Actually My Ceiling.

Seven years of school, a dream job, and one layoff later, I realized I was meant to build something the system could never contain.

The government job was supposed to get me to my goals. It was supposed to give me stability, enough money to live comfortably, and a good retirement. It was the end goal after seven years of school and working hard to earn my Master's Degree in Public Health. All I wanted was a kind but transparent boss who would push me to be the best I could be, and I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself.

The big joke was that I actually needed to create the thing that was bigger than myself. The government didn't have the capacity to hold the vision that I wanted to step into.

It had its place for me to learn, to grow, and to make connections, but once I got laid off, all of the stability left, and I had to swim upriver by myself.

I still had the same passion to help people. I had the same skill sets. I had the same connections. I knew what I brought into a room. Having the stable part taken away forced me to find my own footing and discover what I was truly meant to do.

Now that I don't have the constraints of a government system, I get to fulfill my goals and let freedom be part of my journey. It's not the safe route. It's not the easy route. And a lot of times, it's not the fun route. But you can reframe it to be that way.

You can reframe it as the most exciting adventure of your life: taking a risk on yourself and making the bet that you can do it, that you have the ability, and that no one else gets a say otherwise.

The big joke is that working a traditional, normal job was never the goal. It was actually just a stepping stone that helped me realize what the true goal was.

It's tough to face your previous reality and close that chapter. But it has to close before you can step onto a new page. One that holds the exciting, adventurous, and risky next chapter. But there is no other person who can write your story for you. Sometimes we let other people take the pen before we realize that we are the author of our story all along.