Ecclesiastes 3:6 "A time for search and a time for loss; a time to keep and a time to give away"

Ecclesiastes 3:1  For everything there is a fixed time, and a time for every business under the sun.

When you get some time to examine yourself, especially if you are busy searching for your next career opportunity, you may find that your mind wanders off in many directions.   Perhaps, you think, you could make a living as a fisherman or fireman or circus freak like you dreamed of doing when you were a child.  Maybe what you've been doing isn't what you really want to do or what you feel God has planned for you in life.   We should always be asking ourselves hard questions about our direction in life, but most of the time, we excuse ourselves as just being way too busy.

Always having been one to spend a lot of time in reflection (some might say way too much), I imagine the many different courses my life could have had, has had, is on, and/or could take, and frankly, it's both terrifying and exciting!  Like the next person, I enjoy the comfort that is the American standard of living, but if all we are concerned with is physical comfort (i.e. "making a living"), are we experiencing "life" or just "physical existence?"  Years ago, I remember being in a dead-end job, thinking, "God, is this it?  Is this all there is to life?"   When you pose that question directly to God, you probably should have your seat belt on and tray tables in an upright position.  It's at that point that I think He must deem us teachable, and class usually commences shortly after we pose such a question.

I'm reading Bob Buford's Half Time (Changing Your Game Plan from Success to Significance) right now, and I highly/especially recommend it for anyone approaching that "reassessment" period in his or her life.  I'm guessing that a lot of people are experiencing "reassessment" as they find themselves looking for work during this economic downturn that has turned out so many long-tenured, experienced workers.

As you think about your life and career---and this is largely the point; YOU MUST TAKE TIME TO REFLECT---lose yourself in your dreams and imagination.  You may be holding yourself back from something wonderful that matches with what you believe is your life's mission.  Sure, some people are so far underwater with the cares of life that they can't hope to reach their life's vision in the foreseeable future.  If in frustration we give up and stop dreaming, we become real-world versions of Star Trek's Borg.  Realization of some dreams just takes more time and commitment, and some changes in life require greater commitment than thinking about it one afternoon and deciding to act.

It's a good thing it takes many years to get to adulthood.  When we're "grown up," we have finally reached a point where we can possibly learn about ourselves---if we are willing to take the time and effort.