Dear 'GMA' Advice Guru Top 20 Finalists: Carla Barnhill

Nov. 26, 2010 — -- Carla Barnhill from Minneapolis, Minn., is a finalist in the Dear GMA Advice Guru Contest. Read her application below!

Essay

Dear GMA, It's clear from your letter that you are in the middle of a huge decision. You have thousands of applications in front of you and have to choose one person to fill this huge hole in your mornings. I get that. I really do. And I wish I could hop out to New York and fix this for you. But I can't. Not yet. What I can do is tell you that the answer is sitting right here in Minnesota. The answer is Carla Barnhill. Look, I know you've got lots of perfectly good options in front of you, but when you get down to it, I think you know that "perfectly good" isn't going to cut it on national television. That's where Carla can help. ... GMA, you are in a tough spot and there's no easy way out of it. But I'm convinced that Carla Barnhill can and will change morning television if you're willing to let her.

What's the best advice you have ever given? What was the result?

I've given my best advice to myself: Yes, you should move across the country by yourself even though you have no idea what you'll do when you get there. It will be worth it when you gain a sense of strength and independence you didn't know you needed. Yes, you should take the job that pays squat and makes you happy. It will pay you back in friendships, in memories, in confidence in your ability to make a difference in the lives of other people. Yes, you should marry that boy. He will make you laugh, make you angry, make you smarter, and make you a vastly better person. I keep telling myself to trust my gut. It has never steered me wrong.