Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

U2 came to Charlottesville last night, and I attended along with nearly half my FY class. (A quick thank you to grandma is in order for coming down to babysit, so my wife and I could have our first night out since the baby was born.) The highlight for me was when the whole crowd sang along to some of their older songs. I actually like their newer album, but it seemed that most of the crowd either hadn't heard or didn't really like most of the newer stuff. So, when U2 mixed in With or Without You, Where the Streets Have No Name, and I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, the crowd was electric. It made me think why these songs have been so strong for so long. Why is it we can still identify and passionately sing along with these lyrics?

I think it's the simplicity of the music and lyrics that resonates so loudly. The newer stuff, and even some of their popular hits of the 80's and 90's were more over-produced and sometimes more abstract than the simplicity of their hits from The Joshua Tree. But more than that, is it the message of those lyrics that has stood the test of time? I think the universal and emotional messages of those 3 songs have withstood the test of time, just because they are general, and universal, and emotional, and relatable - largely because we have all had the feelings associated with each of those 3 titles.

For me, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, particularly hits home with me right now. Recently, I've been feeling more and more pressure to narrow my career search -and for good reason, this program is tough enough even without networking and career research. If I'm too broad for too much longer, I can really over-extend myself. So far, I haven't found exactly what I'm looking for, but I have found what I'm not looking for. My desire - better stated, my necessity - to have an appropriate work/life balance has eliminated a few career paths thus far. Despite an intellectual curiosity towards those functions, I cannot stomach the thought of living to work, or being away from my family most of the week.

So while I still haven't found what I'm looking for, I've surely found what I'm not...

My fingers simply will not work

My fingers simply will not work.....

Well, not really. I just think it's a fantastic way to begin my blog, so I stole that opening line from an article written about Jack Nicklaus' dramatic 1986 Masters victory. The gravity of that event brought middle-aged men to tears, and beat writers to their wits end in an attempt to capture the emotion. One ingenious writer started the only way he could, by acknowledging his mental block and starting anyway.

I thought it provided a great analogy for my beginning at Darden. The gravity and variety of all the opportunities I have in front of me are so daunting, that I'm having trouble coming up with an opening line.

I came to Darden (UVA Business School) to find the tools to change directions. I knew I could use my military experience a number of different ways, but in order to use them to the magnitude I'd like - I knew I needed a better understanding of how the private sector works.

This week at Darden, company briefings began. I'd love to go to every one, but unfortunately case prep must get done. I'd prefer to attend them all because I think you can only learn so much from a career development or company web page. More importantly, I want to learn more about each company, industry, and function - since my time in the military left me relatively clueless as to how the rest of the world operates.

This weekend, besides obviously preparing for Monday's cases, I need to get my finger's working, and focus on making some initial (not permanent) decisions about my career path. These past few days I've been suffering a bit of paralysis by analysis in terms of my career path and those initial choices I need to make.

So let's get to work fingers....