Day 5 - Other Peoples Opinions

I have a great, fun, and loving extended family, that is genuinely concerned with my well-being, present and future. I recently had a visit from one of my favorite uncles. We meet whenever he's in town and I usually update him on my latest project or idea, for sound advice and feedback. Today, we met for breakfast and I simply couldn't wait to spill the beans about my newest venture: Putting in my two-weeks notice at work.


The response did not come quite as expected. Here's what he sent me as a follow-up to our meeting:

Dear Niece,

Please read the article below. This is why I don't think that it's the wisest decision to quit your job now.

I know that you think it will be easy to find another job. So, did these folks.  And, non profits are especially having a hard time in this economy. God has blessed you and you need to pray that God wants you to make this move. Don't lean on your own understanding. Remember, there is a way that seems right to men...

Btw-What's your student loan balance? 

Love ya, 

Uncle  

Sent from my iPad

Now, from here I can assume one of two things.
1) He does not want me to default on my student loans.
2) He thinks I will not find another job.


or both.

Here's what he doesn't know:
1) I am already that 1 out of 2 graduate that is working in a job that does not use any of my graduate skills...


"I don't even know what I'm looking for," says Michael Bledsoe, who described months of fruitless job searches as he served customers at a Seattle coffeehouse. The 23-year-old graduated in 2010 with a creative writing degree."


2) The people mentioned in this article have no work experience... BA in creative writing? BA in biology? These degrees clearly require higher ed certification.  See link for article here.


After a short deliberation I turned to a readily available resource: My best friend. 

Here's what she rationalized:

"If not now, then when IS a good time to start over?

While this info is certainly true, I think it's a matter of generational difference that fuels the message that people should hold on to a job that they hate because it pays well. 

I think prayer is functional/vital in giving you clearheaded-ness and making a wise decision, but no matter if you understand God as a spirit living within you or an external presence shaping your path when it boils down to it, the "words" that the "voice" will "speak" originate in your heart and are pushed from your gut based on the beliefs that you have .

It seems that at least a portion of the Christian guidance that your uncle is pointing you towards is based in  honesty, and duty, and patience, and gratitude for the blessings that you have.

While patience and gratitude are invaluable virtues, resigning to familiarity for security's sake is a fault. 

Ultimately, he seems supportive, but very practical and by the book, and while those personality types often have great advice and insight to offer, they're never in full support of your decisions if they stray off the beaten path too much.

It's good to hear a perspective that differs from your own because it can help you consider things that you hadn't, and it can also make you feel more strongly about the reasons why you feel the way you do."

At the end of the day, this decision is something I will have to rationalize and find contentment with for myself. I appreciate everyone's suggestions and thoughts, however as I have once heard:

"Accept good advice gracefully as long as it doesn’t interfere with what you intended to do in the first place." - Gene Brown