Knowing When It’s Time To Carve Your Next Path

​Amy Morys, Technical Sergeant /Assistant Director of Operations- 566th AFB, IL Air National Guard,  pictured in Iraq while deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

You have to know
in your heart
what you want
but when the opportunity comes up, its no longer
the time to be afraid ...
​You have to
​take a step forward.”

By: Linda E. Alberty, M.A. ​​
​
"You have to know in your heart what you want
but when the opportunity comes up, its no longer
the time to be afraid ... You have to take a step forward.” These are the words from a woman who knows exactly when its time to carve the next path for herself, and when necessary to revisit the one she set aside long ago.

Watching her uncle advance in the Navy as a Commander in the Pentagon, and two brothers  who would later enlist in the Illinois Air National Guard, a young Amy develops a romantic view of the military, early on. However, her dreams to enlist after high school would soon wash away after realizing what serving in the era of Desert Storm actually meant.

​Still, after graduating high school, Amy wonders why she did not enlist, “Fear held me back. I was afraid of bootcamp, of being away from my family, the unknowns, and most of all the fear of failing and being vulnerable."

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 “In that process of growing where I landed,
the seed was scattered
and I grew were
I was planted.

But ... I decided
that it was time to purposefully carve
out this path
​ to the military.”

A strong music education major at Olivet Nazarene University, Amy finds herself in a bind; loving the rewards of teaching and the joy of music, but each separately and not together. 

“I realized this is probably not the path for me. I enjoyed music very much but teaching music [in particular] was probably not going to bring me professional happiness.” With a bachelor’s in hand, like many, Amy accepted the next professional opportunity that presented itself, higher education administration.

Rising through the ranks at Fontbonne University, conducting transcript evaluations as an Assistant Director, and eventually overseeing the adult programs as a Director, Amy continues to hold close to her dream. “In that process of growing where I landed, the seed was scattered and I grew were I was planted. But I decided that it was time to purposefully carve out this path to the military.”

After attending her brother Brian’s graduation from the Air Force, a more confident 24 year-old Amy gains the courage to audition for a clarinetist position at The 182nd Airlift Wing, Illinois Air National Guard, located in Peoria, IL. 

An Air Force bandsman 14 years later, under Air Force Public Affairs, a multi-talented Amy works as an Operations Representative, procuring performance opportunities within a seven-state area of responsibility; playing the clarinet, piano and even singing.

​Amy is a two-time veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and a recipient of the Air Force Commendation Medal; all possible because she determined to carve this path for herself, while refusing to be held back by fear.

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​First picture above,  Amy sings for troops stationed at FOB Fenty, Afghanistan. Second, Amy plays her clarinet for Illinois community members at a Veteran's Day Concert. 
Left, Amy greets tribal children located outside Camp Lemonier, in Djibouti  Africa. Crossing cultural boundaries through music paves the way for wining hearts and minds agains the war on terror. 

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It was a desire, a presented opportunity, and capitalizing on that opportunity… I won the audition, and the rest is history.”

We live in a world of twists and turns and every great leader knows that in order to know what path to take, you must first know what is right for you. For Amy, it was all about timing and self-awareness, “It was a desire, a presented opportunity, and capitalizing on that opportunity… I won the audition, and the rest is history.”

​After settling with her husband, Andy, in the Chicago area, Amy has since decided to carve another path—earning a doctoral degree; intending to lead down the road to a full-time career in teaching, following her recent promotion from an adjunct faculty member to Senior Lecturer at Fontbonne University. 

In every endeavor, Amy describes, “The realization process to each of those instances are unique. I spent a lot of time thinking about what was holding me back. Every time we endeavor on a new professional career or academic path, we make ourselves vulnerable. And that’s not a comfortable place to be.  Amy continues ...

• Acknowledge its uncomfortable. 
• Acknowledge its going to be a lot of work.
• Acknowledge there even is a possibility you might fail.

But will it be worth it in the end?"

Amy pictured with her husband, Andy, who also serves alongside her in the 566th AFB.

... But will it ​be worth it in ​the end?"

For more on the concept of vulnerability and gaining self awareness to carve your next path, Amy recommends the following books by researcher and storyteller, Brené Brown:
​ “Rising Strong,” and “Daring Greatly.”