zahnster

Ok, this is probably the most obvious statement in the world (to anyone that knows me, at least) but I’m a huge fan of NBC’s The Office, and in particular, the story of the receptionist, Pam Beesley.

Since the start of the series, she’s been the sweet, downtroddden girl – the quiet wallflower of the office. Once you get to know her character, you can understand why. She’s had a very contained life – same boyfriend since high school, same job for years. If you’re in a situation like that, you get used to the flow of things and they start to become standard. It’s easy to ‘forget’ how to fight back, how being ‘alright’ with how life is going can be a blanket of security, and you hide behind it rather than pursue what it is you would really like.

This last season was a big ‘growing up’ time for Pam – she called off her 4 year engagement (and 10 year relationship) with that jerk of a fiancé, got her own place, started pursuing her hobbies, and in the last few episodes of the season, she learned how to stand up for herself and be fully honest – even if that honesty is scary and uncomfortable.

And much to our delight, her new honesty came with a big reward – the possibility of a new beginning with her best friend and confidant. While some will say that it’s silly, and it’s just a show, her character’s transition this season really got to me.

It’s all too easy to be that person who isn’t really happy with their situation, but too unsure to change things up, because change is risky. It’s easy to sit back and let others make decisions for you, and shape the life around you. What’s not easy is understanding yourself, what you want, and taking steps to get there.

All too often I find myself in the same footsteps. Knowing that there could be better things out there, but too stuck in the current to do anything about it. Seeing Pam step up (and succeed) has been a bit of motivation to me, a reminder that sometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone to get ahead. And although it’s scary at first, as I’m learning, the scariness soon fades and changes to a tone of excitement.

And that’s a wonderful feeling.