UNITED STATES—It is so scary America, but sometimes change is part of life. I will admit that I am someone who does not like change. It takes a moment for my brain to adjust to change especially after I’m used to a habit that I have been doing for weeks, months or years. My brain does not process change immediately it takes a moment for my psyche to catchup with what is transpiring.

With that said, change is not just modifications in your current place of work; it could be a new job, changes in your home life or your typical routine. We can be so routine when it comes to our home life that we a slight adjustment can open our eyes to how change can be good for the mind and the body. By changing your routine it brings a bit of excitement to one’s life.

However, when it comes to work that is the one area that a lot of people are afraid to take a leap of faith. With that said, that leap of faith can bring all the difference to one’s life. I’m a person who when I get a job I tend to stick to it, even if I realize the job that I’m working is NOT fulfilling me completely. I’m too loyal as some family members have noted to me and I’ve started to realize that. I do have a saying in life loyalty doesn’t pay the bills and I’m starting to embrace that more and more when it comes to job opportunities that come my way.

Those job opportunities are knocking and I’ve always been hesitant to take a risk because I don’t want to fall flat on my face. But then it hits me, what do you have to lose. That’s just it, you take a risk you get rewarded, you take a risk and fail, but you live and learn in the process. I’ve always been a proponent of not just going to work for the sake of collecting a paycheck. What purpose does that serve? You can pay your bills, but you’re miserable in the process.

The longer you work a dead end job, the more stress your body takes on and as a result it has a massive impact on your overall physical health (as a result of stress) and your mental health as well. I mean I took a bevy of psychology and sociology courses as an undergraduate and graduate student about the physiological and psychological impact of stress on the body. Guess what America, it is not good.

It can tear you down; it can cause you to get ill and so much more as a result of going to that job that you hate, your workload is larger than anyone else and you just never seem to catch a break, and for what? You’re loyal to people, who can give a rats you know what about you. A person can only do so much when it comes to work. You cannot work yourself to death in the hopes of pleasing those around you because guess what America: the likelihood of those people doing for you what you’re doing for them is zero to none and that is the honest truth, even though most people don’t like to hear it.

In January, I’m slated to start my new teaching gig at my university one that I have put off for several months, but the time is coming people and I could not be more excited. It is an opportunity to try something new. It is an opportunity to do something that I’m passionate about in relation to cinema studies and I get paid to do it America. When you get paid to do something you’re passionate about or love its icing on the cake America. You wake up with an excitement to go to work, you’re not dreading getting out of the bed to go to work.

Isn’t that a phenomenal feeling to have people? It is indeed, but more palpitating is the realization that you don’t have to settle for something; there is always opportunity out there you just have to seek it out and don’t be afraid to say yes when something unexpected comes your way. You never know what you’re good at if you don’t try it out. In life we’re not always afraid of failure, we’re afraid of success.