Do You Believe in Fate?
Do you believe in fate? Like, little coincidences that are in-explainable? Meeting someone and then running into them again days later completely unexpected. Wrong turns, missed calls, red lights that are slowing you down to put you exactly where the universe wants and needs you to be. Broken hearts that lead you to the person of your dreams. Getting let go from what you thought was your dream job, only to realize it wasn’t.
Do you think the universe fights for you? Fighting for you by showing signs of where it knows you are meant to be? Do you listen? Are you paying attention to the signs? We as human beings tend to fight these signs because change, well change is scary, and we are so afraid of the unknown, terrified of falling short, of failing. So we fight fate, we fight what we know might be the best thing in our entire world. We allow fear to dictate our life. It’s said that on the other side of your greatest fear lies your greatest life. Do you believe that?
When I was 24 I went back to school. I was a new mom, not certain of what I wanted to do anymore. The classes I had taken previously were all towards my dream career and at the time it all seemed so far out of reach. I remember sitting with my school counselor going over my transcripts and explaining that I needed a “mom job”. Something stable, nursing maybe. My counselor’s reply, “Well, will that make you happy for the rest of your life?” It was his encouragement that led me to follow my dream of being a journalist.
I knew I loved writing, telling a story, and being creative. Watching the news, I always dreamed that one day that would be me. I realized that wishing for what I wanted did nothing, and I finally got over my fear. I chased that dream. I put in the work. What’s that saying? “Dreams don’t work unless you do.” I applied for any and every entry-level position I could find at various news stations. At times I worked for free, trying to learn whatever skills I could: production, writing, etc. I shadowed reporters on my own time and I eventually started as a freelance reporter, at times working two jobs, sometimes starting at 2:00 am to report news and not ending my day until I finished my waitressing shift after 10:00 pm.
I’ll be honest, it was a love-hate relationship. I LOVED that I was working toward my dream, but the hours and the uncertainty was, at times, awful. However, little bouts of fate kept me going. From a reporter calling in sick and me getting to fill in, bumping into people in the industry at the right place and time, getting the opportunity to fly to New York and interview Channing freaking Tatum and Jonah Hill, then to L.A. to interview Arnold Schwarzenegger and Joe Manganiello, and San Francisco to interview Jared Leto. The list goes on. Was this all hard work paying off or was this fate? A combination of both? This all leads me to now. It was a chance meeting with Jason Roth (CEO of Tuleburg) and Becky Moffitt (CMO of Tuleburg) that led me to working here at Tuleburg. I met Jason on a day that I wasn’t supposed to work. I was still reporting at the time but someone had called in and I covered their shift. What if I hadn’t? At the time, I knew for certain reasons I wanted to make a change in what I was doing career-wise, I just didn’t know what, but it weighed heavy on my mind. It’s almost like the universe said “Here you go, meet this company.” To be honest, I never imagined my career path would lead me into a role like this. A role that encompasses everything I ultimately wanted but I never really knew existed. From handling media, photography, writing, and community outreach, I left a dream job for, well, my dream job that I never knew I wanted.
My point is this: the choices and moves we make, where we focus our energy, and the work we put in — is this what leads us to where we need and are supposed to be? What if you never try? I firmly believe that the universe is guiding us but it’s up to us to pay attention to the signs. If you catch your mind constantly wandering, pay attention to where it leads you. Constant thoughts on a career change or maybe even in your love life. There is a reason why they tell you to pay attention to the first and last person you think of everyday. You can want and wish all day long, but until you put one foot in front of the other, do the work, knock on doors, take chances, let go of your fears, and accept the things the universe is presenting you, you will never get to be where you want. Where you’ve dreamed of. Where you belong. There will always be struggle. It’s just a matter of who and what you choose to struggle for.
Let me ask you again. Do you believe in fate?
