Friday, September 21, 2012
Thinking about the future, reflecting on the past
Thinking
about the future, reflecting on the past, and trying to live in the moment--the
unending challenge. I try to make sense of past events, to learn from them, and
to use whatever little wisdom I gain to plan for the future. I suppose everyone
does this. It’s probably part of getting older, because of course the older we
get, the more ‘past’ there is behind us for us to reflect upon. I register that
I have changed a lot, just within the past several years. Unsettling workplace
events and family experiences impact on how one wants to live in the present
and plan for the future. I have finally learned to let go of how I wanted things to be and to accept
how they actually are. My work life was one of those things I thought I had a
firm grasp on, but it changed shape as I held it and became difficult to hold
in one place—like a squirming child. The work world has changed dramatically
and for a while the difficulty was just to hang on to the speeding car as it
careened forward. Now the car has either slowed or I have mastered running
faster to keep up. I definitely know that I absorb information and adjust to
change much faster now than I ever did before. And since that seems to be the
goal of modern workplaces—to get employees to adjust to constant change--I
guess the change is a positive one. But it is not my full-time job that has
produced that change, despite the constant pressure to change; it is my
consultant work for the UiO science library and for Liivmedia that have had the
greatest effect upon me. If I have ‘broadened my horizons’ and changed my
approach, it is because I reached out in a whole new direction when I decided
to work for both of them, and found a whole new arena in which to enjoy
science. Following the different scientific social media and internet sites,
reading, digesting, absorbing and commenting on articles I read in all areas of
science has been immensely freeing and exhilarating. I don’t want to just read
about what goes on in the field of cancer research anymore; I find reading
about astrophysics, the universe, global warming, nutrition, and bee colony
collapse disorder just as interesting. I have concluded after much reflection
on past decisions that I have no regrets that I pursued a career in science.
But I have understood that I don’t have to be just a research scientist to
enjoy science or even to work in science. There are many different careers that
one can have that utilize a science background—science communication, science journalism,
journal editor, patent law, social media, consultant. Even though I will likely
end my work life as a research scientist, it heartens me to know that I have
contributed successfully as a consultant as well. That’s what I would tell
young people these days; don’t limit your options. Keep all doors open. It
makes for a more dynamic career and an adventurous future.
The four important F's
My friend Cindy, who is a retired minister, sends me different spiritual and inspirational reflections as she comes across them and thinks I...