Hopefully by now those who have followed this blog, I am not giving a chapter summary. I think that would be boring, and a waste of your time. What I like to do is find a point within the chapter and discuss it, and how it relates to me, and maybe to you.
In this chapter, Dr. Daloz talks about reaching for new heights. He says that a major issue, and something people should never do when they are trying to make a change, is to LOOK BACK. We all have probably heard of Lot's wife, who turned around to witness the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah, and turned to stone. That was God's way of saying, that's not what were supposed to do. Obviously, we will not turn to stone, but the idea is there. If a person is to make permanent change, they can't look back at what they had prior. Yes, the experience was real, and we all learn from previous experiences, but we need to LOOK FORWARD, not back.
This is a subject I am currently working on in my own life. I have career goals in mind, but it's tough to make the decision to leave my current job. It may mean moving to a different city, starting over with new friends, and starting in a new job. It is very easy to LOOK BACK. This chapter showed me that to make those tough changes, you need to take a look forward, and start walking, because if you turn around, it will be very easy to stop.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
It's so funny because one of Julie's recent posts on her Honky book blog related to the idea of looking back. She asked if you had the chance for a do-over would you take it? I don't think looking back is necessarily a bad thing, as long as the look back is reflective. That's all a part of experience and all a part of learning.
ReplyDeleteWith regard to job changes, I've made several in my life. It's always been hard letting go, but what I learned is that people move on very quickly. I may have made changes, set records, had a profound impact, but ... I'm not irreplacable. It's humbling to move on to a new job, but a little humility is good now and then! It keeps us open to new ideas.
Interesting the talk on looking back. I've just pulled into NJ and have opportunity to visit one of the refineries from my old company. Part of me wonders if I will be tempted to look back too long and wish I hadn't made the switch to teaching...
ReplyDeleteBut I find that trying to second guess my decision only leaves me unable to enjoy the place I'm at now. And even if I decide to return to engineering in the future, the journey I've been on ensures that I won't be same as when I left it!