How Will You Measure Your Life?

 Will I be happy in my career? 

Will I be fulfilled and have rewarding and meaningful relationships?

How Do I Stay Out of Jail? 

These are great questions and I really enjoyed Clay Christensen's article.  Will I be happy in my career?  Honestly, nobody can know that until they actually graduate and start digging in the dirt of their chosen field.  There may be things about being a professional genealogist that I absolutely hate (time keeping, billing, and accounting come to mind), but I'm hoping on the whole, that I enjoy the work and that affords me the chance to do meaningful and helpful work for other people.  I hope that it gives me a chance to uplift and to teach people, and that it provides me with a source of wonderful connections with colleagues and associates that who share similar passions.  However, if I happen to absolutely hate it, I keep telling myself, there's nothing that can't be undone.  I can change direction, I can choose a different path.  I happen to have that luxury.  I'm grateful for my provider husband whose hard work through the years has made it possible for me to have the time and wiggle room to explore my passions, and not just have to get a job in a call center.  

I'm confident that I will have rewarding and meaningful relationships.  If work or school start to completely take over, I know that I will pull back.  Those family ties and friendships are priority number two, (after God).  Nothing comes above my relationship with God and family.  

How do I stay out of jail?  This question made me smile.  But as I continued on with the article, I was so struck by what Mr. Christensen said about extenuating circumstances.  That if you choose to compromise your integrity "just this once" because of extenuating circumstances, you are already on a slippery slope, because LIFE IS FILLED WITH EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES.  Boy, is that the truth.  And I had to confess to myself, that I have committed acts contrary to my integrity in the past because I thought the situation was justified.  It truly made me stop and take stock of my moral compass.  I resolved this week, on the spot, that I will never use difficult circumstances to justify a lapse in honesty or integrity.  

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