Joe Burrow, the NFL’s 2022 AFC winning quarterback was a back quarterback at his initial college, Ohio State. That college had a pretty good quarterback and Joe pretty much wasn’t going to see any playing time, so he transferred to LSU.

At LSU he started as QB1, won a Heisman Trophy (college version of MVP) and later the National Championship going 15-1 in 2020.

Ohio State was his chosen school but, apparently, it was not the right school for his chosen career.

At times our choosing can be be wrong. At times our choices are not going to materialize the potential that we have at least initially. But the choices we make can let us know about the options ahead and the doors available for us in different places.

Had Joe Burrow stayed in Ohio, we probably would not know him today as he is. Who even knows if he, himself would have seen his potential reached (at least college-wise) had he not loved to LSU. There at LSU what he realized as frustration and missed opportunities in Ohio State, was championship level performance with high level personal achievements.

Listen, where you are can hinder you from who you can be. People may judge your lack of productivity thinking that’s all you had, but they may not realize that it’s because of the lack of opportunities you have in a certain place. And though moving can be jarring, it maybe the next best thing to exploring your potential through a different avenue and place

There is a fear in shifting and moving. There’s a fear that comes from relocate or repositioning. There’s a disappointment that can come from being wrong with your choices. But your initial choice doesn’t mean it should be your final choice! Our chosen places should be viewed through our chosen careers or, in essence of ministry, calling.

Pursuing the call is the utmost. Making mistakes are all art of the process of that pursuit. Realizing that a location or even an initial choice is not consistent to the opportunities needed, is a huge blessing. Knowing your gifting and who you are—on the inside—should be the fire and direction of our futures.

We must dig deep and know our future so that our once brilliant idea or choice would not chain us if they are not exactly what we thought we needed.

Don’t be afraid to relocate. Don’t be afraid to reestablish and realign. Don’t be afraid to restart or even to restart another start. If you feel you have more to give than what you currently are experiencing, be brave and go forth and pursue that inner gnawing of potential. If you’re wrong and you actually are just a backup quartering, then it is what it is. But at least you pursued, at least you chased the potential. Better having given yourself a chance for an alternate outcome than allowing chance to dictate your ultimate outcome.

Maybe you ARE the right person, if you’re in the right place.