This cracked me right up, and it's such a great way to put it. I think a lot of us wait for "rescue" or to be swept away instead of just doing it ourselves.

@Leah, thank you so much! Say hi to your interns for me.

I'm really tired of this concept of "paying your dues"! I understand that you can't just waltz into the big gigs and the big opportunities, and sometimes you have to start small and learn and work your way up, but defining it as "paying one's dues" just gives us an excuse not to work harder, like you said! It makes us feel like, well, this is where I'm supposed to be as a lowly beginner, when I've done enough I'll be able to move on. Instead, we should be thinking, alright, this is where I *have* to be for a short amount of time, but there's no reason for me not to be out of here and on my way up as soon as possible!

There is no amount of dues you can pay that will guarantee you'll be moved up in your field. You could keep paying forever, and, especially if you seem content to keep doing so, nobody is going to come and say "Well done! You've paid your dues! Come with me to professional land!" It's such a huuuuge step to realize you're personally past that "dues" stage and on to the "my talent is worth something and I'm going to act like it" stage. Major congratulations, and thank you for the inspiring post!