MONDAY JANUARY 4, 2021 - SETTING GOALS

 MONDAY JANUARY 4, 2021 - SETTING GOALS

New Year’s Resolutions:

Are you excited about your life? Or do you feel as if you’re merely existing, drifting along from day to day without any sense of purpose or direction?

It can be easy to become complacent in our lives.  We “settle” for less than we can have. 

We might say “I’m okay”, instead of saying “What else might I be doing?”  The term I'm referring to is “satisficing” - not really fully satisfied - but close enough.  I could work on something more, work at being outstanding - work at making a difference in the lives of others.  

It is easy to just settle in.  I’m not suggesting that you become so ambitious that we climb over others to get to the top.  

*****

Now - a personal comment.  

I loved my 18 years at Dakota State University.  I loved the people, I loved what we had accomplished.  I’ve said, “We didn’t know it couldn’t be done, so we did it anyway!!”.  I could have stayed at Dakota State for the rest of my career.  At times, I’m not quite sure what happened, but I left a fantastic place for the unknown.  

There is a poster “You can’t discover new lands unless you are willing to lose sight of the shore.”  If Columbus (or any of the famed explorers) stayed within sight of the coastline, they never would have found the New World.  You have to take some risks to move out of that complacent life.  

I will “blame” my wife (or ex-wife) for leaving Dakota State University.  Our daughter (youngest) had just graduated from South Dakota State University and had said “There is no reason for me to remain in South Dakota.”  My wife gave me her “famous” elbow chop and said “Maybe this is the time to move.” (It wasn’t a “blame”, but a look at reality - I was 53, and if there ever was a good time to move, that was it)

So, at my annual academic conference, a friend was recruiting for Quinnipiac University.  I submitted one application, I had one interview and I was offered a job.  Slam-dunk.  

But, I did have misgivings about leaving a program that I had helped start, a program that I put my “blood, sweat, and tears” into.  

Looking back, maybe it was time to leave.  I played a big part (or so my ego says to me), but by moving to Quinnipiac, my career had even more opportunities to interact with students and to grow personally and professionally.

I got to go to Belarus - twice; I was on the ABET Computer Accreditation Commission and the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board; I got to go to Kazakhstan for an accreditation visit; I did consulting in Alabama, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, Maine, Florida, and other places; I even served a term on the National Quality Award Commission (Malcolm Baldrige Award).  

My professional life grew and even without me, Dakota State continued to grow and flourish!!  (I am so proud of that institution!!).  And, I am so proud of the work I did at Quinnipiac University, the lives I touched (and who touched my life).  

*****

So, back to the concept for today:

Are you excited about your life? Or do you feel as if you’re merely existing, drifting along from day to day without any sense of purpose or direction?

It can be easy to become complacent in our lives.  We “settle” for less than we can have. 

*****
There are many ways of looking at this issue.  Am I meeting my full potential in my life?  Or, I should ‘bloom’ where I am planted.  

As I frequently do, let’s look at scripture - “the parable of the talents”

The owner of a large estate called three servants (employees) before he left on a big trip.  He gave 10 talents (let’s use 10 million dollars) to the first employee, 5 million dollars to the second employee, and 1 million to the third employee.  Then he went away.

The first employee took the 10 million dollars and traded with it - invested it - bought lands and equipment and made 10 million more; the second took his 5 million and made another 5 million with it, and the third employee didn’t know what to do and was scared if he wasted the money, he’d be in big trouble, so he hid the 1 million away.

When the owner returned, the first employee said “Hey Boss, I made 10 million more”; (boss was pleased); the second say “Hey Boss, I made 5 million more” (boss was pleased); and the third said “At least I didn’t lose your money or gamble it away”, (and the boss was angry).  (The Biblical version has the one who hid the money away gets thrown into the ‘darkness where this is gnashing of teeth).

By-the-way, a friend reminds me there is no mention of “retirement” in the Bible!!

Through the years, I’ve met people who’re living what I call a “settled-for” life. That’s not bad - “bloom, where you are planted, is okay”.  But, what if the Wright Brothers settled for life?  “Hey Orville, that airplane thing we’ve been talking about - that’s just a stupid dream.  Let’s stick with bicycles”.  What if after 35 days at sea, tired and restless, Columbus said to his crew “Boy, that was a giant waste of time.  We’ve been sailing west for over a month and haven’t found anything.  Turn the ship around.  We’ve got just enough food and rations to get back to Spain if the weather holds”. (They spotted land on the 36th day).  There obviously are millions of other examples like in1848 “Gottfried, you hard-headed German, this going to America is a bad idea - plus you got a wife and two kids - just settle down here in Saxony.” (To Gottfried Quaas - one of my ancestors - who left several siblings and relatives behind as they left Germany for the United States).

Do you have dreams that might just be stupid, but they just might work?  Do you have talents that you could use for making this world a better place?  

This week, we’re going to look at New Year’s Resolutions in this light - not being satisfied with who and where we are!!!

See you tomorrow!!!

LOVE WINS!!!

HUGS!!!

Dr. Karen