Scope of Work

Going to this architectural planning meeting school has brought me back to thinking about my "theology of good works." Whenever you start thinking about "what should I do with my life?" you immediately realize that it's not merely a question about direction; it's also a question about magnitude. You can't merely say, "I will dedicate my life to education," because the very next question is, "Ok, how much is enough? What do I realistically think I can accomplish in this lifetime? And is that going to be enough to satisfy me?"

I don't think these are trivial questions, because if you over-estimate or under-estimate your potential, you can wind up with what amounts to a wasted life. If you over-reach, you might wind up with a collosal failure on your hands, something that wastes huge amounts of time and energy and amounts to a net loss to the community you hoped to serve. If you undershoot, however, you wind up denying the world the benefit of your true potential.

I don't think there's a good answer to this conundrum. It's clear to me that some of the most effective people I have ever met have been perpetually frustrated with the limits of their accomplishments, no matter how great. The answer seems to be, "It's never enough."