As I've gotten older, I've become only more convinced of one thing: Life is never going to be exactly as you want it to be. You may have an idea as to how you want your career, relationships, and friendships to be. You can try your best to will things toward certain outcomes -- whether by manipulation or sheer persistence --but they will never be ideal. The main reason why is because people themselves are too volatile. Experiences and life circumstances shape us into who we are, a process constantly in flux. I wish that I were a lot closer to many of my friends and relatives, but life has pulled us in different directions. Responsibilities like work and children, and even factors like distance, can change the whole complexion of a relationship. And as much as I wish I could choose who I work with and the tasks I am responsible for, this just isn't feasible. There are aspects of my job that I like and others that make it hard to get out of bed in the morning. So wh...