Hello, my name is Michelle and I'm excited to have found this writing platform! It's been way too long since I've written anything, as life has been busy. I've come to realize though that life will always be busy, so why should I let this deter me from pursuing what I love? And what better way to usher in the New Year than to jump into writing again!

 For most of my life, I allowed myself to be a victim of circumstances. In reality, I was crippled by fear and used circumstances as an excuse for complacency. Recently, I've been challenging myself to break out of this way of thinking and start doing things that absolutely terrify me. One of the things that terrifies me the most is not having an income. So I quit my job. 

 I worked as a caregiver for a year and a half as I attended college, but I was miserable. I enjoyed what I did to an extent, but it got to the point where I was emotionally exhausted. When the weekend came, I felt depressed because I knew I had to go back to work on Monday.  I also began to realize that my time is worth so much more than I am allowing myself to believe. These facts were staring me in the face, and I slowly and timidly began to ask myself the question: *is there something better for me?* 

About a month before quitting, I audaciously ventured into the world of free-lance tutoring. I had worked as a teacher's aide in a private school a few years ago, so finding students wasn't hard. As I began working with a student, my eyes began to open. I discovered how much I loved one on one teaching and coming up with creative ways to unlock students' potential! In short, I felt alive. It was then I realized that life is too short to spend on doing things you don't want to be doing. When I woke up to that fact, I decided to throw myself into pursuing what I love: writing, teaching, and connecting with people.

 The best and most exciting part in my journey, however, is marrying my sweetheart. We met in July and we are now fifteen days away from tying the knot. When we met, he knew right away that he wanted to marry me. It took me a little bit longer (three weeks) to realize that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, but once I did, it was the best discovery of my life. Merging your life with that of another soul is one of the most life-changing experiences a person can have--but the change is so worth it! 

 The thought of change once terrified me and gripped my body with anxiety. Now, I embrace it as a part of life and as a necessity for growth. If you think about it, you can't prevent change;  it's inevitable. But you can adapt as needed. Breaking out and creating change on your own is a great thing to do too.  I hope to write more posts about the change I will face as I start on a new journey as an individual and as a married woman. So here's to a great year full of awesome change, facing your fears, and discovering just how strong you really are.

Happy New Year, Steemians!!!