In the late 1990’s, the band U2 was a bit attracted by the supposed glamor of the pop world, whether it be European dance music or the sights and sounds of Miami, Florida. The excesses of their disappointing “Pop” album led them to retrench and make a comeback album that played to their classic sound and calmed the critics for a while. However, among the gems of their “Pop” album was a song that I first enjoyed in high school called “Staring At The Sun.” Despite the fact that this post has nothing to do necessarily with U2, it is a fitting metaphor, given that this morning as I waited for a coworker to show up so that we could drive to Springfield for work, I stared into the sun, after putting on my sunglasses.

In getting to know my coworkers a little better, I realize that we are all the same kind of people in some pretty fundamental ways. We’re all hardworking and a little bit competitive (we all like to hit targets for productivity, we all want high quality work, we’re all pretty motivated to do a good job and give an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay). We all talk a lot about our families and we all have unusual and distinctive interests outside of work that make life more interesting. In today’s conversation to the Springfield building, I think we all realized just how serious we all are, and I certainly respect them the more I have gotten to know them as people. I hope the same is true for me as well.

One of the more serious bits of today’s rather serious chatting was a discussion on people being put in a position where they could succeed and also people put in situations where they are likely to fail. Every single one of us has areas where we can do well in, and all of us have areas we are likely not to do so well in. In many cases, success depends on having the right kind of approach and background knowledge, so that one knows what one needs to do and has the capacity to do it. Often, success depends in large part on having the right kind of attitude–if one is willing to learn and grow, is willing to work hard and cheerfully, and can get along well with others, success is possible even in difficult circumstances. Nevertheless, every person has to face their own challenges and determine what opportunities provide the best chances for success, with all the wisdom that we can find.

Staring at the sun can be a hazardous matter. For myself, I am not someone who likes direct sunlight, having a difficult time seeing unless the harsh glare from the sun can be cut down, which is why I prefer to wear glasses in such circumstances, so I can see clearly in dimmer light. Beyond the risks of blindness and other eye trouble that can come from staring too long into the sun, staring in the sun also has philosophical implications, including bravely facing death and danger to live the way we ought to live. By metaphorically staring at the sun, we can learn how to communicate better, face the risks and challenges of life and grow them them, and no longer live in fear, having bravely taken our place in the sun. And that is the only kind of life worth living.