Finding Your Passion There is nothing quite as special as inspiring someone else. Something about it also inspires me as well. Tanvi, age 18 So you did it! You ve read through The Girl Guide, you did the activities, and you have started the journey toward personal authenticity. That is a fabulous accomplishment. No doubt you ve learned a lot about your dreams, your goals, and the potential obstacles you may face. You ve also started to develop your resiliency skills, something that will help as you walk the path of your passions. In this chapter, it s time to put everything you learned together, reexamine your dreams and goals, and create your personal blueprint. It is also the time to embrace your unique place in the word and add your voice to the choir of humanity. In this scenario, I want you to think about what it means to be part of the greater family of the human race. And then, read and reflect on the scenario and think about what you would do. 1
The Girl Guide What Would You Do? You ve made it to your senior year. Finally. Next stop, college and the rest of your life. As part of your senior class project, you have pledged to help a freshman out help her get used to the high school scene, join a few clubs, find herself. You take this job very seriously, and decide to pick a girl from the freshman class who seems to struggle the most. After you settle on one particular girl, it s time for a little meet and greet letter the week before school starts, followed by a social activity the day before school starts. You send the letter and eagerly await a chance to meet her. But when the day comes, she doesn t show. What do you do? Bail on the activity, assuming the girl must not be interested? Seek her out on the first day of school? Send her another letter? Talk with her counselor? Take a moment and think about what it really means to be a mentor. Then write down what you would do in this scenario. 2
Finding Your Passion Do What You Love Do what you love, and everything else will follow. It was a quote from my mom I grew up with and one that shaped many of my decisions as I grew up. As I stated at the beginning of the chapter, it is now time to pull together everything you have learned about yourself, your likes and dislikes, and your authentic place in the world and put it into practice. We started this journey together by discovering your dreams. You made a dream poster and started thinking about the different ways you could obtain your dreams. I now want you to revisit those dreams and see if those same dreams still match the authentic desires of your heart. Some of you will say, Yes! These are my dreams. Others of you will realize that your dreams have changed in some way. And still others of you may feel more confused than ever. Wherever you are with regard to your dreams is fine. The point isn t to be clear on your dreams for the future. These are things that will morph and change throughout the upcoming years. The point is to start down a path toward authenticity and learn to listen to that voice inside, honoring your passions in life. I started this chapter with a quote that has helped me focus on my goals throughout the years. By remembering to go for my passions, I am reminded to listen to my heart in order to truly know what those passions are. I ask you to do the same. Take a moment every day to listen to your heart and honor your passions. Oprah Winfrey has dedicated much of her adult life to empowering others to seek their passions and carve out an inspired life. She is often quoted as saying that connecting to her passion 3
The Girl Guide is what took her from obscurity to the force of inspiration she is today. We all have that power inside, within our passions. The trick is recognizing it. Pull out your dream poster and complete Worksheet #26a. Use this as the beginnings of a blueprint for your life, something to help give you focus as your emotions run amuck, or life seems to conspire against you. Adolescence is well-known as a tumultuous time, but it doesn t have to knock you around. Focusing on your dreams and learning to discern that inner voice can help keep you on a path toward the inner you. Your Voice, Your Dream Now that you have had a chance to revisit your dreams and ignite your passions, it s time to make things a little more concrete. Dreams alone aren t enough to guide you through life. Yes, having a vision is important. But it s action that makes the difference. The first step toward taking action is goal setting. Remember all of the focus I placed on practicing goal setting in the early chapters? Now is the time to apply it specifically to some of your dreams. If you want to one day open a cupcake shop, then first it is a good idea to learn all about baking. If you want to write the next Twilight, then you may want to learn about writing. If you want to help put an end to global warming, maybe getting involved with the Ian Somerhalder Foundation s youth organization is the key. The idea is to look at your long-term dreams and find the things you can do now, as a young adult, to gain some of the skills you may need in order to develop and pursue your dreams. 4
The Girl Guide Worksheet #26a: A Blueprint for My Life Directions: Using your dream poster and your goals, write down both and see if they are in alignment. (Part 1) Dreams Goals Are they in line with each other? (Y or N)»
Worksheet #26a Continued Now, take a moment and write a few words or sentences to describe your dreams and passions. Are there any goals you need to change as a result of this activity?
Finding Your Passion Starting to learn about your dreams can also help you decide if you really do want what you think you want. Let me give you an example. I knew a girl once we ll call her Tabitha who wanted to be a fashion designer. Day and night she doodled fabulous fashions in her notebook, watched fashion-oriented shows on TV and dreamed of going to Paris to study couture. One day, her parents got her a sewing machine for her birthday and signed her up for a sewing class. After three classes, Tabitha learned something... She hated sewing. No, really hated it. What now? Should she abandon her dreams of fashion all together? Thankfully she didn t. But she did talk with her guidance counselor at school. Together they figured out many fashionoriented careers that did not involve sewing. Tabitha learned how to refine her dream, reshape it. All based on her likes and dislikes. And all because she not only dared to dream, but she started to learn a few skills and adapt based on her new acquisition or lack of acquisition of those skills. Which brings me to my next point: Not only is it important have a vision and set your goals, but it is also important to be flexible. You know from the previous activities that there are many paths from point A to point B. Deciding which path is correct really depends on the twists and turns of your personal journey through life. And, as I ve mentioned before, the path, although influential on the outcome, isn t everything. It is also about being willing to shift and adjust; being willing to have a Plan B. Take a few minutes and build on your life blueprint you started in the last section. Take the dreams and passions identified in Part 1 and figure out a few activities you can do now to begin exploring the specifics of your dreams. When you have a list of potential activities, sit down with your parents and review your list. See what 7
The Girl Guide things are possible to begin now and which things may need to wait for another time. Journey of a Lifetime You are on a unique and special journey, one that will bring you joy beyond measure, make you afraid in ways that will be profound, and challenge you in ways you cannot yet imagine. It will be one of the hardest journeys you have ever undertaken and one of the most rewarding. It is the journey to you. You have learned about yourself and your dreams. You have heard the voice of your inner strength and likely confronted some of your own demons. And yet, here you still are... taking a few more steps along the path, embracing your passions and your dreams. I have one more thing I wish to impart as you venture out to embrace your life: stewardship. Defined by Merriam-Webster as the responsible care of something that has been entrusted to you, stewardship refers to the care you take of your dreams, your life, and the community of humanity you find yourself in. We are all part of the same planet. And although we have many things that may divide us, there is far more that unites us. This can be a hard thing to remember when someone or something makes you angry. It is hard to deliberately look for commonalities when you are offended or upset. But looking for what can unite us and being dedicated to moving forward is one of the best things you can personally do to not only maintain your focus on your ideals and goals, but embrace your own stewardship. As you consider how to be a good caretaker of yourself and humanity, you may want to consider the concepts of charity and 8
The Girl Guide Worksheet #26b: A Blueprint for My Life Directions: Building on the last worksheet, write down the steps you can take to lead you toward your goals. Remember to be creative. (Part 2) Dream and goal (based on Part 1) Steps to get me to my goal Completion dates»
Worksheet #26b Continued Now, take a moment and write an active sentence for each of your goals that shares exactly what you plan to do.
Finding Your Passion mentorship. Most high schools and universities today have expectations regarding community service hours as part of their graduation requirements. Most faith organizations also hold charity as part of their ideals. The focus on service and giving back is part of stewardship. And it is something that can keep you grounded as you continue your journey toward authenticity, something that can keep your focus rooted in gratitude as we discussed at the beginning of this book. I want you to take a moment and think of the ways you can give back to your community, be it your faith community, your educational community, your family, or your friends. Remember to reflect on this list and look for ways you can give back to others. The Girl Guide Worksheet #27 Giving Back Directions: Take a moment and think about the ways you can give back through charity and volunteering. Area (school, church, home, community) Action Steps to take
The Girl Guide Note to Self: Life Is a Buffet There is no one answer. To anything. What may work for me may not work for you. See, I have discovered that life is more like a really fantastically awesome brunch buffet than a plated dinner where everyone gets the same dry baked chicken and roasted potatoes. I love really fantastically awesome brunch buffets. I can have a taste of this and a tad of that and seconds on the smoked salmon and for your own safety move out of the way if you re between me and the chocolate fountain. No, I m not kidding. It s chocolate. In fountain form. But then... maybe the next time I go to a really fantastically awesome brunch buffet I have no interest in the smoked salmon and shrug at the chocolate fountain (hey, it could happen!) and instead dive headfirst into the carved roast beef station with a stop at the personalized omelet skillet. And the most incredible part of the really fantastically awesome brunch buffet is that everyone gets what is best for them and everyone is happy. With a plated dinner of dry baked chicken and roasted potatoes, well... it s good and all, but it s not something to which I d want to return. I d much rather have the choices available at the really fantastically awesome brunch buffet. Just like food, I want the choices to learn about this and read about that and try a few other things a couple times, and thankfully I m at the point in my life where that is possible. Life is too delicious to settle for the learning equivalent of plated chicken and potatoes when you yourself can choose from the fantastic options out there. The world is a really fantastically awesome brunch buffet, and it s just getting better and better. Jen Merrill 12
Finding Your Passion In this chapter, you had a chance to reflect on your passions and goals. You also developed a life plan to help start you on your road. And you learned about giving back and dedicating yourself to community. Review the scenario at the beginning of the chapter and your answers to the questions. Now that you have completed this chapter, would you approach anything differently? Take a moment to reflect on the chapter and the book, using the self-reflection questions as a guide. As you complete the exercise, listen to the voice inside, the voice of the authentic you. My Voice Reflect on your interactive journal, the exercises you ve completed throughout the book, and the journey of discovery you ve made so far. Then read and answer the questions below: Are my actions leading me in the direction of my dreams? What are my biggest obstacles toward achieving my goals, and how can I overcome them? What do I have to offer the world? What is my unique contribution? How can I help others as they seek out their authenticity? What are my biggest strengths? What are my biggest challenges? 13