| In Dante's "The Commedia", the first tercet opens | | | | For a life worth living, we are called to adapt and |
| with, "In the middle of our life's walk I found myself | | | | grow and develop during our life. Where are you |
| in a dark wood for the straight road was lost." | | | | today? Do you find yourself "in a dark wood" not |
| We spend our youth in exploration and education. It's | | | | knowing where to turn? Are you still making decisions |
| during this time that we run fast - and we have all | | | | based on your past? If so, you are not alone. |
| the time and energy in the world to take big chances | | | | We are all capable of change and growth and while it |
| and seize every opportunity. It's here that we make | | | | can be hard, it can be done. If you are currently |
| our easiest mistakes and when we do, we tell | | | | reevaluating your career, invest in yourself and |
| ourselves rightly that we are learning from it and that | | | | consider the following: |
| it is all worth the experience. The opportunities here | | | | - That you life's purpose is not a job description, it is |
| are smaller and usually don't require a large financial | | | | a calling. What is your calling? |
| investment, and therefore the hole we dig in this | | | | - That by aligning yourself with your core (your |
| stage is (most of the time) not a very big one. | | | | center), you will find peace. What is your core? |
| There are less long-term obligations here. | | | | - That by doing what you love you will find happiness. |
| Then, we move into a later stage where the | | | | What do you love? |
| opportunities are much larger and while they require | | | | - That you will gain more happiness with a focus on |
| the same kinds of decisions regarding time and | | | | significance, meaning, purpose, and fulfillment than on |
| energy and money, the obligations are much greater | | | | success. |
| and the timelines are longer. When we make a | | | | Success is self-focused, the other four have a focus |
| decision here, it usually involves a contract of some | | | | outside yourself - and that does make all the |
| sort, much more money and time to see the | | | | difference. |
| opportunity through. Many of our resources are | | | | It would be a shame to enter the "middle of our life's |
| required to turn these opportunities into successes. | | | | walk" and know we are not centered or balanced |
| It's here that our earlier decisions began to move us | | | | and then do absolutely nothing about it - and later |
| down one path, and turn us away from other paths. | | | | look back with regret. Are you still leveraging your |
| For some, it starts at college when you receive your | | | | past to serve your future or are you thoughtfully |
| first credit card limit (at no cost to you) and you | | | | considering your life, and activating a plan to move |
| begin making minor career decisions out of financial | | | | forward? Are you building a paycheck or building a |
| obligations. (ie requiring more income or less) For | | | | career life worth living? If you haven't considered this |
| others, it starts with the job you thought you | | | | before and if you do feel something is not right, will |
| needed to build a great resume instead of taking the | | | | you thoughtfully reevaluate your career and life with |
| job you loved. Many people now in this "middle of our | | | | what you know now about yourself, or will you |
| life's walk" have not reconsidered their career options | | | | continue along the same old path, lost in the dark? |
| since. They simply continue down the same path. The | | | | Consider that we have only one earthly life. Wouldn't |
| only consideration was earlier in their life when they | | | | it be a shame to get to the end of this life only to |
| began their career. Is that enough? How have you | | | | realize we lived using candlelight when all the while the |
| changed? Don't you require a career tune-up? | | | | sun was available. |