Would you rather be extremely successful professionally and have a tolerable yet unexciting private life, or have an extremely happy private life and only a tolerable and uninspiring professional life?
Why can’t both sides of my life be merely tolerable and unexciting? Excitement leads to ulcers and sweaty palms.
I kid. At this point, with the career that I’m in and the career that I’m pursuing, I’d rather be successful professionally. Because if I’m successful with what I do, it means I’m making some kid’s life a little better. As far as my personal life goes, there’s not a lot to speak of. I’m not married. I have no kids of my own. I’m not saying I don’t want to be happy behind closed doors. But my personal happiness sort of takes a back seat when I think about what I do for a living.
I know, there’s a lot of talk lately about self care and making sure I’m not getting overwhelmed or stressed out. I just don’t know if I’m capable of putting myself before the ones that I’m there to serve.
What do you prefer? Success in public or happiness in private?
*The Question of the Week can be found in The Book of Questions by Gregory Stock, Ph.D.
The Confusing Middle 
Happiness/contentment all around is what I consider a success!
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Personal life is always more important to me, even at the expense of a successful career. And it’s not even close.
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“I just don’t know if I’m capable of putting myself before the ones that I’m there to serve.”
FWIW, best analogy I was given (when needing some self-care myself a while back) is that on an airplane, the flight attendants instruct you to first place the oxygen mask on yourself, then place it on your child. Why? Because if you do not care for yourself first, your child will receive inferior, or no, care.
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