Do you listen to the voice within? (#pinspirationthursday)

I woke up this morning and went to the gym. Not a revolutionary activity for me, as I'm prone to early morning workouts, but I probably should have stayed in bed because I'm feeling sick again. This time, it seems to be concentrated in my chest which makes me a bit nervous. I swear, I can't shake this funk. I thought maybe the workout would wake me up a little and maybe get this crap outta me.

Well, I walked for 40 minutes instead of completing my usual 3-mile run.

And then I got Starbucks. #addicted

Call me crazy, but I love getting my sweat on before the world wakes up. In fact, toward the end of my full-time career in advertising, it was one of the very few things in life that truly made me happy. I worked at a place that made me miserable. Absolutely, 100% miserable. And it's my own fault.

Let me back up.

For almost four years, I worked for an awesome advertising agency. It was my second "real" job out of college and it was where I really, truly fell in love with the industry, writing and eventually my husband. But I got to a point where I needed new challenges. Something bigger. A change of scenery. And I was desperate. So I started looking for other senior-level copywriting jobs. It had to be the ideal position because, despite my heart telling me to move on, a part of me didn't want to leave everything and everyone behind. (I really had it good.)

But I left. I packed up and shipped myself north to a bigger town a little over an hour away. I took a job as an account manager. Something I swore I would never do, and something I continuously told myself wasn't going to be that ideal position. Looking back, I really knew going into it that I wasn't going to be happy. But the cute office in a picturesque part of town that bustled with activity persuaded me to believe this was it. And the pay was nice, too.

But...guys, I settled.

I took this glossy opportunity and ran with it even though I knew in my heart that it was a bad move. And all of it came back to me yesterday when Erin posted this Shel Silverstein poem:

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I failed to listen to the voice within and it's a regret I will live with every day of my life. But I'm perfectly OK with that because it's a regret that now inspires me.

Shortly after I lost my job as an account manager, I began my journey toward a new life as a certified personal trainer—and wife. I moved home for a few months to plan our wedding and begin a 3-month personal trainer certification course. And after the wedding, I moved back to the town I left for that very awful job.

And that's where I am today. Back where I started. But not at all the same.

I'm in the fitness industry now, loving every single second of it. I'm chasing my new dreams one by one and, most importantly, I'm listening to that voice within. I am a bigger, better and stronger (perhaps physically, too) person because of that one misstep. That one piece of regret that now inspires me.

My husband still works for the agency I loved so much. I still get the gossip, hang with the people, hear about the projects...and honestly, although it still isn't the right place for me anymore, I miss it. I didn't leave on a bad note, not at all. And I'm very much welcomed whenever I do visit. For that, I will always be grateful.

Now go, listen to yourself. Because Shel Silverstein is awesome.

Question: Do you get along with that voice in your head? Are you good at listening to your gut feelings?