Last week, I ran into a friend of mine who I hadn’t seen in a decade. I was meeting a client at a cafe and she was waiting tables.
She left a management position at a big company last year where she made a great living to start her own business and needed to pick up a job that was flexible and would allow her to make ends meet.
At one point, she said, “I’m sorry you had to see me waiting tables.”
It felt like a stomach punch thinking she thought I would look down on her for doing what she had to do to allow her to chase her dream.
My response was this:
“Don’t ever apologize to anyone for chasing your smile.”
It takes courage to chase happiness. You have to be brave to accept that your ego and pride may have to take a back seat until you’re self sustainable.
You worry that your friends and family will judge you.
You’re afraid you will pick up a former colleague when you grab a few Uber shifts to pay the mortgage.
You dread the thought of late electricity bill notices and credit card debt.
Most of us will never find the courage to get out of our own way.
For those of you who have and are chasing your smile, I salute you.