I had decided to change careers and as I was looking for colleges to apply to for speech therapy. While searching, I started to see information about physical therapy. Once again, that gnawing in my heart started. Was I going to do speech or physical therapy? I had already walked away from finishing my MBA and a flourishing Wall Street career. It would be much easier to go with speech therapy but there was something that kept tugging at my heart. Have you ever been there? Maybe you were so sure you knew the path to take and suddenly life throws something else in the mix? Have you ever been torn with choices in life and don’t know which way to go?
There Will Be Forks In The Road!
I had my undergraduate in speech. Changing to physical therapy (PT) would mean I had to go back to school to get pre-requisites done before I could even apply. Taking the pre-requisites was an expense both in time and money and would take a minimum of year to complete. The hardest part, was even if I finished the pre-requisites, there were no guarantees I would get into a school. The competition to get into PT school was fierce and the coursework looked grueling. I began to feel disheartened because I was definitely at a fork in the road. Once again, I was faced with taking the road where I would feel no regret and where my heart belonged.
Do You Have Courage To Take The Risk
Taking risks can be the hardest aspect of any fork in the road. What this experience taught me was that sometimes the risk associated with finding your fullest potential and reaching your best self can fill you with fear and anxiety that is paralyzing. Instead of making a decision it causes you to stop at the fork in the road and become paralyzed with indecision. I found myself in that spot and began to retreat from making any decision. I put all my dreams in the drawer and started to walk away. What would happen if I failed or was rejected?
I had already walked away from finishing my MBA and a flourishing Wall Street career. I began to think I had made a huge mistake. I began to backtrack and started to get my resume ready for Wall Street again. When I looked in the mirror, I saw a person who was afraid and wanted desperately to go back to what I was familiar with. I just could not see taking all the time, money, and risk to navigate through physical therapy. What was I going to do?
Small Steps Lead to BIG Dreams
I started to take small steps. I took a few prerequisites and started to slowly build my dream. At first I did not make a decision to become a physical therapist. Instead, I made the decision to start the journey.
It is hard to believe, but after 27 years of being a licensed physical therapist, I recently retired my license. All the small steps I took toward my dream finally became a reality. I went through hell and back when I made the decision to become a physical therapist, but have never regretted it. I found where I belonged.
Always remain open to the forks and detours in the road of life. I have always found, that when you have the courage to take the small steps, you will be amazed how they accumulate to finding who you are and where you belong. Never forget, that taking small steps forward can lead to BIG dreams!
Share below what small steps you need take and what you are doing to take them!
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