Email: Building a nonprofit [AS]

Life is like that. Some stuff we do according to plan, some on autopilot, some by moment-by-moment interaction with others, some by sheer improvisation. The rest we do shooting from the hip or over the shoulder as we run from here to there. I like it when I get at least some time to size up a situation and come up with a plan, in order to be able to "do it right." Some things simply require thinking and acting on our feet though. I'm big on time slicing, multitasking, and improvisation myself (but mainly with things I already know I'm good at).

Life is an alternating mix between searching for and then finding clarity, isn't it? You probably project more confidence than you know, because you're willing to take on more than others. I think it's the same with me, however, I probably also project the opposite in ways I'm unaware of. I think most people have a better idea of their strengths than their weaknesses (esp. as the separation between the two grows more blurred with age and maturity).

I agree with your personal responsibility vs. warm fuzzies approach. The warm fuzzies crowd may not be aware that it [ha]s taken specific human beings to make everything happen in their lives; they so want to acknowledge God's primacy in everything that they choose to ignore God's instruments (their parents, their employers, etc.). What's wrong with faith plus practical, personal responsibility? It's about saying "Here's how much I can have the courage to do, and God will do the rest" (a biblical view), not "Oh, humans can't do anything apart from God, so why bother?" The practical believers plan the route and drive the train, but trust God for a safe track; the warm fuzzies people just wait for God to start the train so they can go along for the ride[--or they start driving the train without any idea of how or where to go, because that's "trusting God" too].

Yes, some offices pay people to do what you're doing for free (in addition to your main responsibilities). I think you're overkill for what they're prepared to pay for. You also have a sense of responsibility for your work, don't you? I am that same way, but have had to learn [the hard way] to only give as much loyalty as I am accorded. It's like any relationship: Respect has to be a two-way street; traffic starts piling up when it's predominantly one way.