Sunday, August 24, 2014

Seek. Aspire. Accomplish.

"What do you wanna do when you grow up?"
"I want to change the world" 
"One person can't change the world. Stop and relax - sleep, eat, and enjoy life" 

"The unexamined life is not worth living" - Socraetes

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I've been on this mission for about two years now to figure out what it is I want to do with my life, and finding a career path where I can give back to the community and make a meaningful difference. I've met many other young adults who are struggling with the same challenge and are out, just like I am, in search of an answer.

The reality of the situation is that it's going to be challenging finding this fulfillment and desire no matter where you go or what you choose to do; you could be on the ground working in the community, as a front line worker. As rewarding an experience it is to come home each day knowing you made a difference in someone's life, this path comes with it's own set of challenges - overworked, underpaid, funding issues, and the list continues. You may choose to pursue a path in for-profit organizations and government; here, again, while the pay may be great, you may feel demoralized with the work, unmotivated because you may feel that you're so far removed from the reality of things...

I write the above to make a very simple point which I've learnt from some very important and valuable people in my life; find something you love to do; what excites you every morning and every night; what is that "thing" that when you talk about it or read about, you can't stop and want to keep doing more and more? Once you find that "thing," no matter where you choose to work, you'll make a difference in the lives of people whether you may see it or not - whether it be on the ground, working with them one-on-one, or on a more strategic and systemic level.

I'll leave with one last point someone told me that hit really close to home. The problem with our generation is that we're so obsessed with changing the world and making large strides through our volunteer and regular work that we lose sight and focus of the little things we do in life that have an impact on others; whether it be something as simple as holding the door for someone or giving a dollar to a homeless person, or speaking out on an issue like violence. Take each day as it comes, with a commitment to making a difference - no matter how small or how big. This is not to say that we don't plan for the future; of course, we must do that and that's an important aspect of success - but do that while using each day as a stepping stone, leading up to that - and enjoying every moment.

For at the end of the day, it's really about those small moments that come to define us as we create our big moments.
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"Life is tough, that's a given. When you stand up, you're going to be shoved back down. When you're down, you're going to be stepped on. My advice to you doesn't come to you with a lot of bells and whistles; It's no secret: you'll fall down, you'll stumble, you'll get pushed, you'll land square on your face. And every time that happens, you can and [and you must] get back on your feet. You [must] get up just as fast as you can, no matter how many times you need to do it. Remember this: success has been and continues to be defined as getting up one more time than you've been knocked down."




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