Pressing On Towards Goals

Today I had the opportunity to participate in a walk to raise funds to fight MS. We couldn't have asked for better weather and it felt so great to be out in the sun and spending time with friends. The walk was only 5 miles and it was relatively easy but nonetheless it felt good to complete it. When we reached the end we had to all walk through a balloon arch as people clapped and cheered.
This whole experience got me thinking... Goals to strive towards and markers to reach are important things, they keep us focused and motivated to reach the end. I recently talked about goal setting and celebrating milestones with one of the new nurses I am mentoring. We each came up with some goals for ourselves and we update each other frequently when we take the bus to work together. My goal was to one day become an "eating, sleeping, healthy person." (She actually helped me choose that goal :)
It's been exciting to be able to finally make some progress! Though I suspect that this will be a lifelong journey,a milestone is in sight. I've been offered a 20 credit contract next year at Northwest University to teach a clinical group, manage the skills lab, and do a few specialty subject lectures. While this actually means a salary cut, this also means more time with students, more variety, more daylight exposure, and I can reduce my hours on the "red eye" shifts at the hospital. I am hoping the more normal schedule will allow me to spend more time with family and friends and not miss so many important days in the lives of the people I love.

"I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in death, and so, somehow, to attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained this, or have already been made perfect. But I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3: 10-13