Things are progressing. I moved to NYC sans job in hand. So for those cynical readers who thought “who is she to tell someone” – I am in the transition right now. I am facing down fear and every other thing that comes along with moving, uprooting mid-life. I am practicing what I preach. It is fun and scary at the same time, but I feel like it is where I should be. I am going on “informational interviews.” I have had one every day I’ve been here. Informational interviews are like models “go-see.” A friend gave me the names of six people that would either be in a position to hire me or direct me to other people similarly situated. My goal is to get at least 3-5 more contacts from each person I meet. I’ve been to meetings all across Manhattan. Each individual has been generous with time, resources and referrals. From six names, I now have over twenty. I’ve been putting miles on that subway Metro card. I’m hustling, hitting the concrete jungle with intensity and desire. It’s now or never and I need to be in it to win it. Interviews and networking have been the order of business. However, I have managed to take in a couple of broadway productions. NYC was the right move for me. I’m loving it, except for the subway rats and the trash smell.
Remember, the smartest and the brightest aren’t the most successful. It’s the person that is willing to put it out on the line, go out of their comfort zone and dare to succeed. Too many people let fear of what others may think hold them captive. Don’t be a caged lion. Fear of success is greater than the fear of failure. It is easier to believe you can’t do it, than it is to believe you can. In sixth grade, there was a poetry recital. I remember one kid read a simple poem, but it is relevant. “You can if you think you can. If you think you are beaten, you are.” My friend and I recited the poem “Don’t Quit” (below).
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about, When he might have won had he stuck it out;Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.
Ronda is an attorney, writer, and entrepreneur. She is a contributing writer for the Huffington Post. Originally from Chicago, she has lived in Los Angeles and New York. She loves to travel and is passionate about education equity, especially for first generation college students.