Flibbertigibbet

Run it through the same pro/con analysis that you did for current situation vs. school. Academia won out before, see if it still holds up against the new challenger.

One thing to keep in mind - job opportunities will keep coming while you're in school just like they do while you're working. If the scholastic plan is having trouble holding up now it will continue to have trouble in the future.

Basically you need to figure out what's more important to you personally - a career on your current path or one that will come from your studies. Either way I'm sure you'll make a success of it. The question is which will give you more satisfaction.

I completely agree.

The challenge I'm having is that I haven't exactly defined the hierarchy of values that I'm pursuing.

I know I want to learn and I want to teach and I want to write and think. I also know that I want to make lots of money and I do enjoy the basic ideas and challenges of running a business.

I have to decide which of those values apply to my professional life and which are most important.

This opportunity is really highlighting a lot for me in terms of what my hierarchy of values is.

"Own your life and spend it on growing."--Ellis Wyatt

(What do you want the doctorate *for*? What do you want lots of money *for*? Attaining personal luxury doesn't take that much money, so is that Mediterranean island *really* what you want? What will you do with it? How does it fit in with your top values? Or is it your top value?)

I think the money should be a *by-product* of doing what you love, not an end in itself.It's easy to make money--it's not easy to own your life (to use your time to grow in the ways that you want).

(Unwanted advice from the woman whose own doctorate sits gathering dust in the spare closet, who earns very little, but who lives comfortably and does exactly as she pleases.)