Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...

Much is changing right now, and oddly enough, I'm not too stressed out it about it. I'm in "check list - get it done, move on" mode.

And so far, so good.

The bigger the decision, the easier it is to make.

Ask me about heading out for a beer and I will say yes. But ask me where and I will stumble. There are so many places, so many different options, and I want to choose correctly. But I end up overwhelmed by all the possibilities. It's not a big deal, and any of a hundred choices would be fine, but I still expend too much effort deciding.

Contrast that with the rather big decision of graduate school. Back in December, I made the decision that it was time to go back and I did. Just like that, no long internal conversations or pro/con lists to weigh my options. I just decided to go. And now, with the same clear head, I have made the decision to put grad school on the back burner. I'm not quitting, exactly, but I am definitely not going to continue right now.

When I started in December, I was working a temporary job that required little more than 40 hours a week. That job has since developed into a Corporate Controller position that requires much, much more of my time. More than that, my job allows me the freedom to do so manyof the things I have wanted to do professionally - teach, manage, organize, lead, create. It really is right where I want to be, and I would rather put my full talent and energy into that. Why work in classroom hypotheticals when I can do the same and more in a real world environment?

Ultimately, for such a big decision, it is easy to make. I am dropping out of graduate school. And I am doing so without a single negative thought in my head. The old me... the old "quitter!" "you never finish anything!" "sure, walk away!" me... has no power anymore. (Well, maybe a little. But I will no longer be emotionally controlled by old voices from my past.) The fact is, I am a college graduate who has worked very hard to get myself into exactly this professional position, and I am going to focus my efforts on doing the greatest job I can. There is nothing for me to be ashamed of for making work a priority over school.

And that is how big decisions are made.

Hello, it's my past calling.

I got a call yesterday from my old boss. Yep, the guy that laid Ric and I both off last October. (If you are expecting a tirade about how horrible he is, you're going to be disappointed. We worked in commercial escrow and title, so it was hardly a surprise that we got laid off. Business slowed to a crawl and the manager had to lay people off. It happens. And after five years of working with him, he really struggled with actually letting us go.)

Anyway, so he called yesterday needing some help on a project that I first worked on six years ago. And as nice as it was that he thought about me for the job, my response was that I am satisfied where I am working now, my job is a perfect match for me, and I couldn't be happier. And it felt really good to hear those words from my lips and know that I meant them.

And on a side note, he was genuinely happy for me and for Ric. He is a great person, he was a very good manager, and I hope things turn out as well for him as they continue to turn out for me.