Indefinite

I have had lots of thoughts lately that I should probably get out here. So my goal this week is to retroactively blog. For now, though, I had a conversation today with one of my really good friends and colleagues that got me thinking.

The conversation was not really out of the ordinary for us, at least not compared to recent talks. We have often found ourselves talking about our jobs, what we like, what we don't, what we are getting, what we are not, what are plans are, etc. I think the biggest part of it is venting to someone else going through the same new professional growing pains. I think we also find solace in admitting things that we would not otherwise.

What made today's talk interesting was a revelation we had that I know at least I have not had before. The thing that makes this whole new professional thing scary (for lack of a better term) is that for the first time ever, we do not have a definite ending to where we are. Up until now, we have had and end date to whatever we were doing. Limited contracts, graduation dates, the ends were always in sight. Somehow, I think that made looking to the next step easier.

However, nearing the end of my second year as a professional in higher education, the next step is not so clear. Sure, most of us have generally thought that our first jobs in this field are supposed to generally last around three years-ish, but that is not a definite timeline. Now we are in a position where we have to think about what we think is going to be best for us. That may be staying three years, two years, five years, and then moving up here, moving somewhere else, staying in higher education, finding something new.

Of course we have talked about a number of other factors that have impacted us as of late. We are still learning what it means to work here and in this field. We have created some pretty impactful relationships. We have accomplished change and are hoping to create more...without becoming stuck in the cycle of wanting to make everything better. However, this indefinite timeline really has me thinking that maybe I do need to figure out what might be next.

The Strength of a Weakness

I am finding (or likely always knew about) the fine line between caring for others and taking care of yourself. The delicate balance of empathy. When do you find the right place (at the right time) where you can sacrifice for others without sacrificing too much of yourself? This is a concept that can influence many areas of life, but I find I really do not stop to think about it until I am too far on one side. More often than not, I find myself over-sacrificing and then berating myself for it. This is when I wonder where that line is. One of my top five strengths on StrenthsQuest (and some version of it on any personality inventory) is empathy. And they always show you the positives and challenges to it. They just are not always that apparent. By no means am I an empathetic martyr, but this is something I think about. Although maybe I do not think about it enough since it continues to happen. Perhaps this is all a little vague for a blog post, but it was a thought I wanted to share.