Something's Gotta Change

by Marnie L. Pehrson

Throughout my youth, I kept a daily journal. While organizing a closet my husband found a stack of them. I began reading day-by-day entries from one that covered my 10th grade year. I attended private Christian schools growing up, but in 10th grade one of my best friends had already moved on to public schools and I was bored. Although my life was filled with friends, sports, piano lessons, learning how to drive, and youth activities, I complained of being in a rut. I decided if my life was going to change, it was up to me. I had to make it change.

So in trepidation I approached my parents about going to a public school in 11th grade. My mother was against it at first, but eventually relented. Despite pressure from the private school principle and my basketball coach, my parents stood by me and let me step into the "real world" of public high school. Being a mother of six children, I can empathize with my parents throughout these journal entries. I'm sure that was a tough decision for them to make – to trust a 16-year-old's intuition about where she needed to go next.

Looking back on this experience, I think, "I didn't know how lucky I was." From my current position of motherhood, I can't see that this 10th grader had any right to be bored. But, had I not made the decision to go to public school in 1982, I would not be where I am today. In public school, I had two English teachers who encouraged my writing ability. Also, it was there that I discovered a talent for computers. Computers were unavailable in the private school I attended. I wonder if I would be earning my living as a writer and an Internet developer had I not made the change?

In retrospect, that unsettled restless feeling was telling me, "It's time to move on. Something's gotta change." I believe that this restlessness was prompting me in a new direction. It was God's way of telling me that I had to change environments in order to obtain critical knowledge for the future.

Many people resist change. They want everything to stay the way it is. Perhaps it's fear of the unknown or fear of failure. Over the years, I have learned to embrace change. Sure, it's a little unnerving at first, but it can be thrilling to step out of your comfort zone and learn and experience something new. Even though a distressing event can cause changes in our lives, if we look for what we can learn from the situation and look for the new opportunities laced within it, we'll be able to use any change to our advantage.

Next time you feel a nagging feeling that something's got to change, ask yourself what it's telling you. Embrace the new situation, let it work for your good, look for new talents you can develop, and document your experience along the way. Twenty years later, you'll be glad you did.

Written by: Marnie L. Pehrson,
marniep@mindspring.com
http://www.believersatwork.com

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Marnie Pehrson is an author, creator of www.IdeaMarketers.com, www.LocateACoach.com, www.SheLovesGod.com, and more. She is the author of inspirational books like Lord, Are You Sure? and historical fiction such as The Patriot Wore Petticoats. She also helps people earn money from home using the phone and the Internet. For more information on her projects, visit http://www.pwgroup.com or www.MarniePehrson.com