Turning Somedays into Reality

Six months after making a big life change, Shelly Henley Kelly offers encouragement to do what you planned to do "someday."

Last year, after working 60-hour weeks in a high-stress environment, I came to the realization that I was terribly unhappy, and my life needed to change. For a long time I said I would do something about it … someday. I’m terrible when it comes to making big life changes, yet this time something bigger was moving in my life calling me to step away into the unknown.

“Faith is one foot on the ground, one foot in the air, and a queasy feeling in the stomach.” (Mother Angelica)

Knowing that this change was imminent, I made a Consecration to Mary, surrendering all to her and asking for the grace to be still amidst the incessant constant noise and listen to the promise of the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to guide my next steps. Six months later by the grace of God, I left that job for an opportunity to reinvent my career.

I’ve changed careers once before, stumbling into both academia and then business almost by accident. However, as a child when someone asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” my answer was always a writer. Then life sweeps you up and carries you through high school and college, to a “secure” job, marriage, children, etc. until it becomes easy to encounter – or create – so many reasons to say, “Someday….”

You know this word.

Maybe you have a someday lurking in your life too. Something you’ve always wanted to do, learn, or change in your life - yet it’s never been the right time. If this year has taught us anything, it’s that unpredictable change is always right around the corner.

Time is a funny thing. Someday, we will make the time – time to sleep, time to pray, be more organized, learn something new, change jobs, change careers, clean up the house, renovate the bathroom, travel, spend more quality moments with the kids, read a book, see a movie, and then we prioritize all these somedays with the overlap of …. everything.

Someday, it will be too late.

Maybe it’s time for you to join me in choosing one of those 'somedays' and turn it into reality. #catholicmom

Maybe it’s time for you to join me in choosing one of those “somedays” and turn it into reality. I’m not saying it’s easy; it requires a conscious decision, hard work, dedication, faith, surrender, and trust.

Six months after leaving that job, I’ve taken on two ambitious historical writing projects and one personal project. I don’t know whether I’ll be successful in this new venture, but I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work towards this dream. I have faith that God will steer me no matter what obstacles come my way. After all, He brought me here.