When is someday?
We all have things we want to do in our lives someday. The truth is there are probably a lot of things that don't get done because life gets in the way. One of my examples is learning Spanish. I first decided that I wanted to learn Spanish when I was in the Dominican Republic in 2003. I actually registered to take a Spanish class at Elon, but it was going to double the cost of my books, and it wasn't required for my major, so I decided to drop the class. I did take a basic Spanish class through the Delaware Career Center when I was teaching preschool in 2005, but while I have learned some basic words and phrases, I am not really much closer to being able to have a conversation. I have also traveled to Honduras and Costa Rica on mission trips, and wished I could fully communicate with the people I met, especially the children. So 11 years later, the desire is still there, but I am not much closer to the goal.
Fast forward to the present: This has been a crazy year. I started a new job in July, moved at the end of June - and am still not done unpacking, and I have also been doing training at my part time job and trying to have a social life. Needless to say, I am a bit overwhelmed. But last week, a friend gave me the information about a Spanish class she has taken, and I learned that they were offering classes at my alma mater - the Methodist Theological School in Ohio. Then I looked up the information and found out the class was starting in only a few days. Yesterday I took care of a few details to make sure that it was doable on my end, then emailed the company to see if I could still register since by that point it was less than 24 hours before the class started. I found out I could do it, and registered for the class.
Pretty much right after I registered I started wondering whether it had been a wise move. I was already feeling overwhelmed and overextended, so adding something else - especially something that is extra to what needs done - seemed crazy. But I had already committed before I even really fully considered the ramifications of my decision. Ultimately, what I decided after considering whether I was totally insane is that if I wait for the right time to learn Spanish, I never will. In some ways, that's what I've been doing for years. So for the next 10 Wednesdays I will be spending 2 hours learning Spanish (and also some time studying in between classes).
The truth is that there is never a perfect time to do things like learn Spanish. If we don't make time, it will never magically be there. We have to work for it. We may need to give other things up. I came across a quote awhile back that said something along the lines of "If something is important, we make it happen. If not, that's when we make excuses." So what is your "Spanish class"? What is something that you want to accomplish but keep putting off? How can you make that a priority? What are you willing to put on the back burner in order to make it happen? Because the truth is, there is never a good time, and the only way those goals will ever be achieved is by making it a priority.
So go out there and make it happen. Buena suerte.
Fast forward to the present: This has been a crazy year. I started a new job in July, moved at the end of June - and am still not done unpacking, and I have also been doing training at my part time job and trying to have a social life. Needless to say, I am a bit overwhelmed. But last week, a friend gave me the information about a Spanish class she has taken, and I learned that they were offering classes at my alma mater - the Methodist Theological School in Ohio. Then I looked up the information and found out the class was starting in only a few days. Yesterday I took care of a few details to make sure that it was doable on my end, then emailed the company to see if I could still register since by that point it was less than 24 hours before the class started. I found out I could do it, and registered for the class.
Pretty much right after I registered I started wondering whether it had been a wise move. I was already feeling overwhelmed and overextended, so adding something else - especially something that is extra to what needs done - seemed crazy. But I had already committed before I even really fully considered the ramifications of my decision. Ultimately, what I decided after considering whether I was totally insane is that if I wait for the right time to learn Spanish, I never will. In some ways, that's what I've been doing for years. So for the next 10 Wednesdays I will be spending 2 hours learning Spanish (and also some time studying in between classes).
The truth is that there is never a perfect time to do things like learn Spanish. If we don't make time, it will never magically be there. We have to work for it. We may need to give other things up. I came across a quote awhile back that said something along the lines of "If something is important, we make it happen. If not, that's when we make excuses." So what is your "Spanish class"? What is something that you want to accomplish but keep putting off? How can you make that a priority? What are you willing to put on the back burner in order to make it happen? Because the truth is, there is never a good time, and the only way those goals will ever be achieved is by making it a priority.
So go out there and make it happen. Buena suerte.
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