An hour ago, this was me…

And now this is the new me…

I know, big deal– I cut my hair.  But more than just my hair has changed.  They say that when you want to change your life, you should drastically change your haircut.  I’m not sure who “they” are, but since I quote them a lot, they must know something.

So this haircut is symbolic of my transformation.  I’ve spent the last 10 years in a career that wasn’t right for me, and  I’ve finally made the switch!

It’s been 10 years of thinking, “it will get better,” or, “I just need more experience,” or, “maybe it’s the job and not the career.”  It’s been filled with ups and downs of trying to make it work while simply wanting to give up.   There were moments of clarity when I knew it wasn’t my match.  There were other moments of clarity brought on by the few precious experiences that made me smile at the end of a day– only resulting in utter confusion.  And ultimately I was left feeling defeated because I almost always felt like I was not myself.

A few years ago I had wanted to do the “chop” in an effort to induce the change for which I was so desperate, as if a new hairstyle would single-handedly change my life.  But I couldn’t because I needed either a boy cut (not my style) or I needed my hair to be long enough to put in a ponytail for my work.  It was a revolving cycle that I couldn’t escape.

Ultimately the change that I was searching for found me, and in celebration of that, I now get to cut my hair.

Today I am thankful for my new-found freedom.

Happy Thanksgiving!