Believe In Yourself & Good Things Will Happen

Let me take you back a bit...

Four years ago I made the decision to go back to school to become a teacher.  It was something I thought long and hard about because when I had "finished" school five years prior to that, I wanted nothing to do with college courses and tests ever again.  Looking back now I realize what a completely different place in my life I was nine years ago.  I had just lost my mother, was desperate to move out and get a place of my own, and knew I needed to get some full time work to make that happen.  I had my Associates degree and felt satisfied enough with that.  But then after five years into the work force, I realized how limited I was both financially and creatively.  Working to get a pay check to pay my rent was not enough, not even close.  Something inside my heart started to flutter as I began to read more books.  The passion I felt toward reading then turned into a desire to want to teach and talk about reading with potential students one day.  For the first time, in a very long time, I felt alive again.

And so my journey to becoming a teacher began.  I took baby steps at first, only taking a few classes while working full time, not knowing if I could handle it all.  But as the semesters flew by, and the student teaching began, I quickly realized I COULD handle it and so much more.  Never in my life have I wanted something more, or worked harder to achieve it.  I am writing this blog post now because just recently I took my last state certification exam and passed.  Once I receive my Bachelor's degree in December I will be officially certified to teach in the state of Texas.  Everything is beginning to come full circle and the realization of that has started to hit me.

I am going to be a teacher.  This is for real.

The advice that if you work hard and believe in yourself will lead to good things, has been echoed in my ears since I was a child.  It wasn't until now that I fully understood and agreed with that advice.  If you're reading this now, and you're somewhere in the balance of in between your own goals, I hope you take my words to heart.  If you want something bad enough, work hard, and BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, your goals will be conquered.

As a good friend recently said to me, even though it feels like the end as I wrap up my education, it is just the beginning of the rest of my life.  I am standing here, with my head held high, arms open wide, ready to take on life's next challenges.  And it feels pretty darn good.