A Common Theme

I was listening to the radio on my way to work this morning and they were talking about the quarter-life crisis, most notably in females. I'm not sure why the emphasis is on women, maybe by nature we are more apt to plan and dream and freak out if we haven't reached or discovered our goals by 30. Not being a male, I don't really know your side of it--leave a comment if you happen to have a clue.

In 2010 I followed the blog of a fellow R-MWC classmate and former co-worker which explored a breadth of topics surrounding quarter-lifers, and consequently touched on a common theme in blogs of many R-MWC graduates--the search for a Life More Abundant (case in point, this blog by another classmate, so titled Vita Abundantior).

What I find interesting in the common theme is that all of us understand the concept of living a Life More Abundant and are actively searching for it. While some of us are still searching, some of us have found it, and some of us thought we did, only to find out that our own definition of an an abundant life has shifted or changed. I think that's okay. I think part of the beauty of the school motto is that it gives us the power to direct our own life within an achievable and tangible framework. After all, each of us has our own personal definition of what an abundant life looks and feels like.

As for myself, I wouldn't say that I am having (or have had) a quarter-life crisis, and I don't think my wife has either. In many areas of my life I've trusted what feels right for me (regardless of what other people think) and that has led me through a natural progression of self-discovery. I'm married to a wonderful woman and about to graduate with a Master's degree in a field I love. However, as evidence by this blog, we are still reaching for our own path of satisfaction and happiness. I'm ready to settle into a career, move to a place that makes me feel alive and energized, and start a family (not necessarily in that order). I certainly feel like we are striving to live our life abundantly, healthily, and happily no matter where we are in our life, but I think we want it all.

Perhaps we're playing the quarter-life waiting game. Not waiting for life, but waiting for all of our hard work, energy, and passion to manifest into something extraordinary and fulfilling that can sustain us for years to come.