After months or years or even decades of thinking about it, many of us have eventually made major life changes and found the new direction both affirming and energizing. For others, fear of change has presented a barrier they simply couldn’t overcome. Not that long ago, Margie Langille took that first step toward change, that leap of faith, and her life has been an exciting adventure ever since.

Backed by solid family support, the support of her church and councillors at Haven House, Margie’s life-changing first step involved ending a marriage and going back to school to take a year long course.

“The first lesson I learned,” she says, “is that you are the only one that can decide to take that first step toward changing your life and you are the only one that knows when you are strong enough to take it.”

“Prior to taking that first step,” she continued, “I just wanted someone else to fix my life. I just wanted to say, ‘Here’s my life, go fix it,’ but no one else can do that for you. You simply can’t rely on others to rescue you but then, once you take responsibility for your own life, find your purpose, set your goals and work toward them day by day, that’s when you begin to see your dreams fulfilled.

“Once I took that first step,” she assured me, “everything just flowed from there.”

Prior to following through with that decision, Margie says she had a series of full-time and part-time “jobs,” jobs that were definitely not “careers”. Her goal was simply to get through each day and make ends meet as best she could. Now she sees a more positive future, one where she will be helping others, and she is looking a lot further down the road.

“I used to dream about going to Africa,” she grinned. “I used to dream about my potential and wonder what if …. Now I’m thinking about the next time I go to Africa and I can see an exciting career opening up for me.”

Last May, as part of a church-sponsored group, Margie left with five others to work on a project in Zambia. They built an additional two classrooms and a library for a college and also did some work with a primary school.

While in Zambia, she got a phone call from Sprott-Shaw Community College, where she had studied, asking if she would like to apply for a position as Student Alumni and Service Representative. She took the job as soon as she got back and one of her major responsibilities is to help new students who have recently made the life-changing decision to go to college and improve their career expectations.

Referring back to her trip to Zambia, Margie says that in retrospect, other exciting opportunities had probably presented themselves before but because of her lack of self-esteem, she didn’t even consider them. Instead her natural response was that she would not have anything to offer or simply that she wasn’t good enough. Now she says she realizes that we can all make a difference for others one small step at a time.

If you ever take the time to look back over the 400 or more columns I have written about Hidden Heroes, you will see a recurring theme. Almost all of the people who has faced major life challenges and succeeded have surrounded themselves with supportive friends. In Margie’s case it was her strong family support, Haven House councillors, her church and the instructors and staff at Sprott-Shaw Community College.

Once you feel strong enough to make your next major life change, whatever it may be, who will be with you to lend support?