My Next Leap: Taking control

Up until a year ago, there was no 'leap' in my life. At least not in the sense that would impact my entire life, to the point that every decision I made would require me to take some kind of leap.

By Berrak Sarikaya, DCPrincessQ.

No, my life has always been about the plan, the next step—the end result.

My decisions couldn't be based solely on what I wanted, but on how every decision would affect those around me.

My family came first, which meant that every step that I took, I had to think about how they would react. I had people counting on me. Then came the downward spiral that began with my unhappiness, and inability to stop thinking about others.

I'm currently self-employed, in school and starting to leap into a brand new career, which is scary. What's scarier is that I no longer have others to rely on when I make a decision. I can no longer say:

"Oh, I had to make this choice over the others, because of how X,Y & Z feel."

Oh no, it's all on me.

So I'm making the leap to take control of my life.

Every decision that I make might sometimes feels selfish, but the big lesson I learned in the last 5 years is that I am no good to anyone around me if I am not good to myself.

So my big leap?

Move away for the right job, in the industry I want to work in, while proving to myself and everyone around me that a piece of paper doesn't define me.

My actions, my passions & my ability to take control of my decisions define me.

I wake up every morning, realizing that the only person I am accountable to is me. When I go to sleep at night, I have to answer myself: Did I accomplish my goals today?

I already took some big leaps in the last 24 months:

• I moved out of my parents' house even though it made them unhappy.
• I moved in with my boyfriend even though it caused friends who disagreed with that decision to turn their back on me.
• When I lost my job last summer, I decided to leap into a new career versus going back to the same-old, with the support of my boyfriend and close friends, as well as my community.
• I said 'Yes' to my boyfriend over Christmas when he asked me if I would marry him despite the uncertainty of my career path.

So, I'm leaping into a new future. This next leap will take me into a dream career that will make or break me, to a new city that will embrace or reject me.

Do I have a job lined up in Seattle (or NYC)? Nope.

That's the beauty of a leap. You don't quite know where you'll land but you always land.

Want to help me leap?