World Class Hugs

By Rachel Puryear

A good friend of mine shared an old Chinese proverb with me this past week: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

I don’t know about you, but I really needed to hear this. And I’m sharing it, in case you needed it, too.

With the new year, I’m grateful to be starting a new career path in helping people buy and sell homes. My husband and I have been working together for a long time to put this into action. Doing so has also brought us closer together. I’m hopeful that this will help us meet several goals of ours, and lead to better career satisfaction.

At the same time, there is also a lot of lingering regret, and what-ifs. Regret that I did not choose a better career path years ago, that I incurred a lot of student debt for a previous career path that did not work out, that the previous line of work I was in was ultimately a poor fit for me.

My friend is also going through a similar career change, and we have been “gym buddies” together in doing so. He shared the above words of wisdom with me, and it has helped me to put things in perspective. I’m not the only person to have a lot of regrets about past choices, and “planting a new tree” now is still way better than never doing so, or waiting many more years to do so.

It’s never too late. I’m excited about what this new year can bring, and the possibilities that the career change has already brought about for me.

Whatever trees you may be holding back in planting, plant them this year. It’s not too late, and it’s still worth doing. Years from now, you could have that beautiful tree. But that depends on what you are doing now.

Happy new year, stay safe out there, take care, and much love. xo