With a busy schedule in this fast-paced world, it is easy to continue to look forward to the future and not take a moment to acknowledge the present or the past. At the end of every chapter in your life there are new beginnings, but before these beginnings are given your full attention, you should have time for reflection. You never know what you might have missed while bombarded with things to do, places to go, and people to see.

As I reflected I realized that over the past couple of years, I have had the opportunity to pioneer not just one venture, but several. Of course, I am not referring to captaining a ship on a grand adventure, but to me, these opportunities were just as exciting.

Around two years ago the music department at my school was looking for someone to run their social media. I jumped at the chance to be paid to post on Facebook (I mean, doesn’t that just sound so fun?) and immediately answered a few pre-interview questions. Before you know it, I was given the admin role on FB and a time sheet. Facebook was the only social media platform they had at the time, so I got to start their profiles on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. Since then, they have gained followers and I have gained a lot of valuable insights on how to conduct a business page.

At the beginning of this school year, an acquaintance (at the time) had given my phone number to the principal of a school. This school was looking for someone to direct an after-school children’s choir. The principal not only received my information but reached out to me a day after I was told of this! We set up an interview, which I then barely made due to car troubles, and that was when I was hired to teach 3rd-5th graders how to sing! Near the end of the school year, my little makeshift choir got to perform for their peers at an assembly. Although it might not have been a perfect recital, I could tell that the time and effort I had invested in them was worth it. These children were proud of what they had accomplished and were excited to share their art with others.

This year at my internship I needed to lead a senior project. The parameters were that it would have to be an event and extenuating to the work I was already doing. So, instead of just taking over an event that had already been on the calendar, I was offered the chance to create one from the ground up. The church leadership trusted me with the important task of creating a Holy Week worship experience, even though I had only been there for a few months!

While these stories may not seem to be related at all, the one thing all three of them have in common is that they were opportunities I said “yes” to. Maybe I was at the right place at the right time, maybe my extroverted personality caused others to see potential, or maybe it was the plan for my life all along.

Even though I am closing this chapter of my life, I can’t wait to open up new opportunities, to say “yes” to new experiences in my future. Will you join me?