Fellosophy 101, Chapter 1: Take a Leap With Some Hard Cheese.

Guest post by Brandon Fell

Have you ever sat at work staring at the clock, performing the best Samantha you can to try and make the hands spin faster? Fought the traffic to get home only to wake up the next morning and fight the traffic into that place you didn't want to be? Kinda like Groundhog Day, except you can replace a cute furry creature with your life? I call this rock bottom, and it serves as a fairly strong indicator that you may want to explore other options. The good news resides in the last word of that sentence - options.

Recently I've embarked on a career-180, rendering my original PSU undergraduate degree one very expensive four (and-a-half cough-cough) year, um....experience. (Love you mom and dad).

But you know the saying, as one door closes...

...force another one open! No one is going to hand you anything, but you will always find people who are eager to help, provided you present yourself with an attitude that is worth helping. That's where the hard cheese comes in. Recall what your parents told you to say when posing for pictures when you were little. Cheese! And cheese hard! There are but 2 facial expressions conveying positive emotions that are recognized universally across all races, religions, languages, and geographic locations. As you may have guessed, one is smiling. I've stormed my way into a whole new industry, equipped only with eagerness and cheese. And it's gotten me farther in a couple of months than 4+ years working a "normal" job. The difference lies in doing what you want to do.

Temporarily set aside factors such as income, schedule, and taking a step or two backwards. If it is truly what you want to be doing, these things will follow suit. For now, they are about as useful as the combination locked inside the safe. Dad always told me, "if you enjoy what you do, you never work a day in your life." He's 2 years from retirement, and if you ask him, he'd tell you he's still awaiting his first day on the job.

But I digress.

Am I the best trainer? The smartest? The most cutting edge? Hell naw. Not even close. But I relish in helping people reach for their personal goals. And who doesn't love service with a smile? How about service with a genuine smile? The genuine smile of someone who once thought that hours at work felt like days, but now flips through calendar days like the pages of your favorite book?

It also doesn't hurt having an abundance of love and support in your corner; family, friends, partners. Albeit I received the overwhelming "do what makes you happy", there was consensus surrounding a new career associated with my fervor for fitness. You may be familiar with my partner; one who wears many hats in my eyes. She's evolved from random summer-time co-camp counselor, to long-time acquaintance, to friend, to girlfriend, to best friend, to damn-we-really-have-something-here. As an ideal partner would, she's had my back since day 1, well before our current status, or dare I say, the Holy Grail of all relationship statuses...FACEBOOK OFFICIAL (puhhhlease). She sees what makes me happy and goes beyond encouraging me to pursuit my dreams. She volunteers and whores my personal training services out regularly - acting like my agent - if you can imagine Jerry Maguire snorting rainbows, unicorns, and glitter. But she made taking a life-altering leap feel as routine as telling her I love her; effortless, natural, and just flat out right. 

So when you decide to take your leap - career or otherwise - don't forget the hard cheese. It's highly contagious...and as of today...no known immunizations exist.

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**(blushing) Editor's Note**:  Thank you for bravely sharing a piece of your story, B. Whatever it is that makes your pulse race, go for it! I'm so proud of you and your new life adventure, and honored to be a part of this journey with you...it's all happening!!  (And for the record, my dear readers, yes--he is as dreamy as he sounds). xo.

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