The Earth is Hiring

I love what I do. And if I don't love what I'm doing, I stop. So right now, I'm at a temporary job, loving it, and looking for the next, more permanent job. The compass spins.

Sometimes, as I scroll through job listings and Web sites, I stop and think: What the heck do I want to do? As a career, as a lifestyle, as a human. Here is what I've come up with:

1. I want to write: I want to write words that are true, words that are pretty, and words that stick.
2. I want to serve: I want everything I do to serve a purpose, to help, to sustain, to resound.
3. I want to be away from a desk and computer when I am not writing: Yeah, barefoot would be nice, too.

It's easy, especially when writing cover letters and tailoring resumes, to forget. But then I read something like this commencement speech from Paul Hawken, and the sun is out again. Here is an excerpt:

When asked if I am pessimistic or optimistic
about the future, my answer is always the same:
If you look at the science about what is
happening on earth and aren't pessimistic, you
don't understand data. But if you meet the people
who are working to restore this earth and the
lives of the poor, and you aren't optimistic, you
haven't got a pulse.