Move Forward or Sit Still

First, let me start by saying, if I talk a lot about my sister, it’s because I can’t help it. She has become such an amazing woman and an amazing person. Considering where we came from and what we’ve gone through, and what she’s gone through in her personal life, and to see where she is now, well, I couldn’t be prouder as a big sister.

Having said that, we had a conversation one day about reaching out. She and I were both born and raised here in the Mississippi Delta, in the rural outskirts of Greenville. I moved away for about three and a half years, from 2004 until 2007. She, on the other hand, has never lived anywhere else. In December, she got a great job opportunity in a town about 2 hours or so from here. She took it, of course, and for the first time in her life, moved away from home. After a couple of weeks, once she got settled in, is when we had the conversation about reaching out. She was talking about how other than her co-workers, he hadn’t gotten to know anyone. As we talked, we both came to the conclusion that she would more than likely have to reach out to make friends. She said herself that she would probably have to venture out of her comfort zone and go meet some people. She’s had several invitations to visit some churches, and she said she would take them up on their offers and go to church, and I agreed with her.

Sometimes we sit around and wonder why we don’t have any friends, or why we can’t find any opportunities. Could it be because we’re sitting around wondering? I know I’m guilty of this. I’ve had many a pity party, sad and whining because 1) I didn’t know anyone and had no friends, and 2) I couldn’t seem to get any opportunities to move forward in life. I realize now, it was because I was sitting there in a puddle of pity. I couldn’t find those friends or those opportunities because I wasn’t putting forth any effort.

Now, we all don’t sit around and do nothing. In some cases, we know what we want to do; we just don’t know how or where to start. I’ve been guilty of that too. We then have to take a step towards reaching our desired goal. One way to achieve this is to get out and/or reach out and connect. Make yourself visible and available. Go visit some churches, and challenge yourself to introduce yourself to at least one person while you’re there. When you’re at the grocery store, challenge yourself to greet and talk to someone, maybe the cashier who is checking you out (always be careful and selective in public situations like that). If you’re a homebody like me, and you want to take a different approach, try browsing and joining some of the social networks online. I've been connecting online for just a little while now, and I've made some great contacts, and met some wonderful people. People have read and enjoyed my work (I’m a writer), and it feels great. And I have made some wonderful, caring friends, which is the best part. Through these blessings, I have a couple of opportunities, and who knows where this could lead. And not to mention how much I'm learning from everyone I've met.

So the main thing is, challenge yourself to take a step forward. Meeting people, connecting, and making friends is not as hard or as bad as it may seem. If I can do it, I know you can. And remember, you can't move forward if you sit still.