Crossroads, Part 5: Words to Live By

"Nothing worthwhile is easy, but if you never take the chance, you'll never know what you might be missing."

Every once in awhile I come up with a quote that I feel strongly about. A little over a month ago I placed these words as a status on my Facebook profile and I feel as strongly about them today as I did back then. When I first put that up, I was referring to a relationship I had been in for several weeks, one that ended recently. A good friend of mine made a comment on that quote, simply saying "words to live by." Though at the time I wasn't thinking of the bigger picture, I realize today that they've always been words I've lived by and I need to be reminded of that every once in awhile.

For the past week and a half, I've been heartbroken by the sudden end to a promising relationship. I've gone through all of the emotions and requisite thoughts, such as "I wish I'd never met him," and of course the "why me's?" There had been signs that this was coming, and friends had warned me against getting hurt, but I thought I saw something there and I went for it anyway. In the end, I never got to find out what I might have been missing, but I'm proud that I took the chance. I have no regrets.
So here I am today, still sad and waiting for something, anything to pick me up again. I think back to my quest and it all seems like such a huge mountain to climb, but I look at these words again and I feel somewhat hopeful. It is a new year, the year I've been waiting for, and I have already begun to make my moves.

So far, my prospects are grim. I owe more money on my house than I can sell it for and a week ago I believed my only options were to stay here and wait out the rebound of the housing market, or go for a short sale and risk a lot. Through the suggestions of friends and readers alike, I've begun to explore other options, including renting my house with an option to buy. It's a brand new prospect that could just help me along my way towards my goal of living in New York City and maybe finding long term happiness.

I believe that life can be full of all sorts of exciting possibilities, and sometimes you have to take a chance and go for them. Otherwise, you'll never know. Stay tuned...

Previous pieces in this series:

Crossroads: Striving for a Change or Settling for Status Quo

Crossroads, Part 2: The Decision

Crossroads, Part 3: First Step

Crossroads, Part 4: Justifying My Decision