For Love, Money, or Prestige

Growing up my Dad and I would constantly banter over whether it was more important to be financially comfortable, in order to afford to do the things you love, or to have a job that absolutely satisfied you, regardless of the income. Obviously by my career choice I went the love route, and most days wish I would have listened to my Dad more. I don't make enough money, and most days I don't love what I do. I contemplate a lot whether I could tolerate the many extraneous issues with my profession if I made more money, or if I'd be happier doing something completely different? Or is it a matter of my own wanderlust and the need for new challenges that pushes me to never be complacent, or satisfied, and always seeking new frontiers?

Veterinary medicine has become somewhat of a cruel joke for those of us in the profession. Our salaries are barely comparable to paraprofessionals in other medical professions, and woefully low when actually compared to other similarly educated professionals. At the same time we are crippling the next generation of veterinarians with educational indebtedness that makes my mortgage payment seem reasonable, while paying them salaries with which they can barely make ends meet. All the while pet owners are expecting an ever increasing advancement in our skills, knowledge, and abilities to deliver the best medical care. Couple this with the fact that most of the country is in an economic downturn, with too many families struggling to put food on the table, let alone be able to fix Fluffy's ruptured cruciate ligament.

We will reach a point that one of these areas will have to bend before the others break. At some point our salaries (as well as those of our incredibly underpaid staffs....if you really want to meet a person who is in it for the love a job rather than money, talk to a veterinary technician) are going to need to increase, the cost of the education (and likely the knowledge level gained) is going to have to decrease, the cost of services will have to increase or the quality and level of care will have to decrease. The problem is that we want to be paid more, while our clients want the best care at the lowest price...at some point something will have to give. I certainly don't have the answers to this one, but I will be greatly affected by how the scenario plays out. And yet, with all this uncertainty on the horizon, I continue to go to work every day in my chosen career, because I do believe that what I do every day is inherently good.

This brings me to the latest turn on the Joe Coaster (see previous blog) of life. I recently was contacted, out of the blue, about what would essentially amount to a dream position within this profession. I should clarify, the actual "work" part of the offer would be a dream come true, there are certainly other issues that aren't perfect. The position is in a part of the country to which I could never imagine relocating, and the pay is essentially half of what I was making during the peak of my consulting days. On the other hand absolutely everything I have worked my entire life for professionally, would become a reality, and I would be given the chance to potentially leave my mark on this profession with which I have had a lifetime infatuation. In a twist I can only describe as incredible irony I have also been contacted to start up the consulting work I left behind a few years ago, which would certainly help on the income side of the equation. And, let's not forget, I'm also supposed to be starting graduate school this fall.

So I jump at this once in a lifetime opportunity right? Obviously I take the money and run? Oh, how I wish it was that easy. I have lived my entire life in the Upper Midwest, always less than a day's drive from my family. At the end of the day, outside of the gifts of our minds and bodies, our greatest blessings are our family, friends and the great people with which we share our lives. I have been incredibly blessed on this front. My family is wonderful and supportive. I have the great honor of currently working with the closest friends I have ever had in my entire life. And at the end of the day, I am a creature of routine and comfort and I'm certainly comfortable with the general path of my life...up until Tuesday's phone call and the end of the week emails.

If you haven't figured this out from my previous posts, I'm an incredibly emotional person. I don't have a lot of close friends, but the close friends I have in my life I am completely emotionally invested in, and value above all else. At the end of our lives I believe the impact, memories, and emotional interactions we have with others actually defines our earthly existence. Our career goals, income balance sheets, and positions all pale in comparison to the memories and impact we impart on others who are sharing this world with us. If you at all believe there is more for us beyond this world, it will only be the emotional and spiritual balance sheet that will be taken into account when we're gone.

So how do we decide what is the right thing? And by whose account is it right? All that I truly know is that I feel like I'm in a dream and that I'll wake up tomorrow and be back in the same routine. Truly I feel these options are an incredible blessing, and I am very thankful that I even have the agony of making decisions like this. So how does one decide? I know in my heart what is truly the "right" decision but for whatever reason I'm having trouble convincing my mind and ego that the decision is one with which we'll be able to live. Probably my biggest struggles are with the choices of what is selfishly right for me, and what is right by everyone else who is so vital to my life. And who am I to say that a new adventure would not open doors to others' lives whom I would find equally as important?

I know the answer is different for us all, but at the end of the day do you choose love, money or prestige? And would this decision be different at different stages of your life? I guess if nothing else I'll have plenty to think about on my long runs over the next month. The more I hear my own arguments, or see them as I wrote this post, the more clear the answer becomes...but will that be the answer which will bring me peace with my decisions or will I be haunted by what-ifs and might-have-beens?