Tonight, I served as the senior faculty member at a dinner attended by multiple junior faculty and the person who is serving as an executive in residence at the Carey Business School. The person made an interesting comment that I really have to think about. The comment was made in reaction to a question from a faculty member about career advice that our graduate students were seeking. The executive in residence said something to the effect of the notion that you have to be willing to lead an unbalanced life because the world is run by unbalanced people. To be the best at something you have to be willing to work harder and sacrifice more and want it more than everyone else.
With that in mind, I face a challenge. I just finished thinking for forty days about the combination of faith, fitness, and function supporting family. I want to excel in them all. I think that the person who was speaking tonight would tell me that I am crazy and that I can't have it all. I guess the key question is when I will find myself put to the test. Or perhaps I have already.
I am trying to figure out how to remain disciplined with my running. It is getting harder and harder. And there is a distinct difference between the running or physical activity I need just to stay in shape and the training I need to do to race safely and race hard.
I have already given up on my music for the time being. I'm okay with that. It is not the first time in my life that my music lost the battle to my running, my academic pursuits, and my future. (I gave up on piano lessons in my senior year in high school for essentially the same reason--running and all.)
I may have to give up on other activities.
I may need to prove just how much I want to succeed in my career to make it work.
I am not sure about the cost of doing that.
At some point, I may have to do some soul searching to determine just how much it is worth. I'm not sure I'm ready to grapple with that.
I hope it doesn't come soon.
But, I have to remind myself, that ultimately family has to win. The key is how to support what my family wants and needs.
There are no simple answers.
But it remains my focus.
With that in mind, I face a challenge. I just finished thinking for forty days about the combination of faith, fitness, and function supporting family. I want to excel in them all. I think that the person who was speaking tonight would tell me that I am crazy and that I can't have it all. I guess the key question is when I will find myself put to the test. Or perhaps I have already.
I am trying to figure out how to remain disciplined with my running. It is getting harder and harder. And there is a distinct difference between the running or physical activity I need just to stay in shape and the training I need to do to race safely and race hard.
I have already given up on my music for the time being. I'm okay with that. It is not the first time in my life that my music lost the battle to my running, my academic pursuits, and my future. (I gave up on piano lessons in my senior year in high school for essentially the same reason--running and all.)
I may have to give up on other activities.
I may need to prove just how much I want to succeed in my career to make it work.
I am not sure about the cost of doing that.
At some point, I may have to do some soul searching to determine just how much it is worth. I'm not sure I'm ready to grapple with that.
I hope it doesn't come soon.
But, I have to remind myself, that ultimately family has to win. The key is how to support what my family wants and needs.
There are no simple answers.
But it remains my focus.
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