Young, Gifted, and Not Getting Into Harvard - New York Times

Young, Gifted, and Not Getting Into Harvard - New York Times What a great article about resetting expectations for yourself, your family, and even society itself. We tend to get too hyper-focused on THE way, THE career, THE "fill-in-the-blank" that we block out God's vision for our lives. While focus and persistence are two great qualities in life, so is having the emotional intelligence and intestinal fortitude to see the big picture. Many people I talk to set great goals for themselves only to achieve them and be left with an empty feeling. What they (and me too) fail to realize is that much of the joy comes from the process of achieving the goal rather than the sense of accomplishment at the end. As a matter of fact, many people become disillusioned with life AFTER achieving their lifelong ambitions. "Is this it?" "Have I worked so long and hard for this?" "What now?" are all questions that can haunt us upon completing a major task. I have realized that many times AFTER I achieve something, I have a personal letdown emotionally and physically. It seems that I descend into a bit of a funk that takes some time to come out of after these periods of intense activity or focus at the office or home. Instead of beating myself up about it, I have learned to expect it which helps me deal with it. It seems that I personally need these times after something major to recalibrate and move forward. God made us as a cyclical/seasonal people. From the beginning of creation, we see that the earth and everything upon it runs in patterns. I believe that it is one of the ways that God allows us to see Him. Rather than run from it, learn to embrace the seasons of your life.