Day 20: One Life Lesson I'm Grateful to Have Learned...

is to listen to my gut instinct. Many people are thinkers, they analyze a decision and their analysis drives their behavior. I am a thinker, too, but when it comes to major decisions I can't let my thoughts alone guide me, I have to follow my intuition, as naive as that may seem. The older I get the more I know this to be true for me.

I began college as an International Business major. I truly don't know why, other than because it sounded like a good, solid way to earn a living for myself. I was a good student in school, I liked learning and therefore a business career was the life for me. I was up to this challenge.

Did I have passion for it? 

No. 

Did I envision myself doing whatever it was successful business people did for the next several decades of my life? 

No. 

Did I even enjoy my pre-business classes? 

No.

With a complete lack of vision I continued on this path, taking several History classes simply because History has always interested me. A meeting with my adviser ended with her admonishing me that I was "taking too many History classes" (that's a problem??) and I needed to delve into the business curriculum full-speed. My gut instinct kicked in and I left with a plan--I would take one more History course and it would determine my fate.

The course: The Era of the World Wars, taught by a WWII veteran History professor. 

I. Loved. It. 

It was endlessly fascinating and the stories and topics we were learning made me eager to participate in class. My pre-business courses were, of course, now serving as a stark contrast to the enthusiasm I had for this History course!

The moment of truth: after the first test (a persuasive writing test) the professor, a wonderful, grandfatherly man, actually posted five of the best tests on the wall and my test was one of the ones posted! At the end of class I immediately walked to the Advisory Office to change my major. That sign was what I needed and my vision was now clear. I needed to be a History major. My Education degree came as a result of determining what I would do with my vision.

There were many people that discouraged me (none in my family, thankfully)  but I no longer had any doubt--I had ignored this passion for too long. Once I realized I was doing what I was meant to do everything fell into place. (That is not to say that earning a teaching position was easy, rather that my vision guided me and made all of the hard work worthwhile.)

It sounds naive but my instincts are correct, when I listen to them. I'm grateful to have learned this lesson.  #reflectiveteacher