Writing.....

Dare to Dream: Finding your Passion in a Mundane World 

I wrote this essay in December 2015. It is my deepest passion and biggest wish for every single person, but especially the high school students that I've known and worked with for 5 or 6 years. It doesn't apply just to teenagers, though. This message is for anyone and everyone. 

"A single dream is worth a thousand realities." JRR Tolkien

"We are such stuff as dreams are made of…" William Shakespeare

                Dreams. Though they are often just simple fantasies we create in our head, they do something powerfully immeasurable to us. They bring us focus for the future, a passion for both our life as it is and as it will be. Having a dream means there's something to look forward to beyond just the ordinary, often tedious tasks of our everyday living.  And having a dream means a reason for all the hard work that it takes to achieve it, not just viewing life as pointless and meaningless. It means moving beyond the ordinary and bringing out the extraordinary.

       My experience in high school has led me to observe that American teenagers, particularly  high schoolers, often struggle with the lack of what Pastor Rick Warren would call "a purpose-driven life." There is a concerning amount of students who don't have a dream to work for or a long-term goal to achieve following or during high school. Many times these students, especially those who are homebound, often feel so burdened by school and chores that they find it difficult to both move past their currently mundane life and to picture in their minds where they would most like to see themselves in the next five years. To some of them, the next "big thing" might be something as ordinary as getting their first job in a fast-food place, or gas station, or anyplace that gets them away from their boring home life.

     Dreams that drive us can be big or small, critically important or sweetly simple.  A lot of times, though, the dreams that students find themselves lacking involve visions for their careers. Students who don't see the value of post-secondary education as anything more than just going to school often struggle to put efforts into their everyday life because they don't have something that drives them to live each day with a sense of direction. Therefore these students are unfocused and lack a sense of value and purpose. And while getting a job while in high school is certainly encouraged, it doesn't have to be the end-all for a teenager who just wants something to look forward to.

       Students who lack the motivation to complete high school successfully, putting their all into their coursework and their life as a teen, are going to struggle with finding where their gifts are and how their talents fit into the bigger picture. Students need to identify a gift, pursue it, and find a way to use their gift in a meaningful way, in order to bring joy and direction to their hearts, whether it's in academics, vocational skills, or outstanding athletic/artistic ability and talent.

       Contrary to popular belief, Christian students who haven't found a dream do not need to assume that they are called only to the ministry or to be a missionary or Sunday School teacher. While these careers are far from "bad," they are not for everyone. Just like not every adolescent boy is going to be an athlete, not every Christian student will be a pastor or minister. Students need to learn that if they have a God-given gift and they are delighting in it, they are glorifying God by using their gift well and for the right reasons. This revelation will give them new freedom, because they will understand that God gave them the gift to bring them pleasure, and to bring joy to other people as they enjoy it.

            On the other side of the extremes, students also should learn that they don't have to "settle" for something they are good at, but strongly dislike. Although at some times that can be necessary, a student who is discouraged with the weight of hating what they are good at will not have the incredible joyfulness that comes with knowing AND loving a talent. In order to achieve the goal of knowing where they're going and having a say in it, students need to find something they love, not something they hate.

     So how can someone find their passion and find at least one dream to strive for? Students who know their gifts and interests need to seek out ways to become involved in activities that center around their particular gifts. They don't necessarily have to be connected to a ministry or the church, if those opportunities aren't available, but the church often has unique ways to get involved and use one's gifts to serve others. Outside of the church, students should get connected in their communities and make connections with people who can help them find a place or way to get involved. Finding places in their communities where they can be with like-minded people and pursue a gift can really be a huge blessing to both the students and those around them.

      Students who do not know their gifts clearly should make a list of things they know are enjoyable to them or that they are drawn to, or a list of things they wanted to be when they were children. They should list the goals they made, as well. They should take a personality test to give them a good idea of their strengths and weaknesses so they know what to pursue and what to leave untouched, as well as what new thing to try.

     Students who are upperclassmen should consider taking career tests to get an idea of something they'd be good at AND enjoy. They should participate in mini "internships" or job shadowing, where they can get a taste of something they think they would like to consider working in. They can eliminate options quickly and also decide if there's something that really gave them a feeling of delight and pleasure. Having trouble identifying anything? Friedrich Buechner hit the nail on the head when he observed, "Your calling is the place where the world's deepest hunger and your deepest passion meet."

       Once a possible interest has become a definite possibility, students need to research what steps will need to take place in order to make this interest become reality. This can be anything from a small goal to a huge career plan. The process includes identifying small goals that need to be reached in order to achieve the larger goal, and identifying what needs to happen in order to make those goals reality. 

            In my own life, I have been blessed to have a beautiful dream for many years that has driven me through my everyday living. I was able to identify early on that I wanted to attend a liberal arts college and pursue the performing arts. Once I had identified that, I participated in multiple activities that grew my strength in that area, and once I knew what the liberal arts schools required academically, I was able to take the classes needed to attend the college of my choice. I had joy in my everyday life because of my delight for acting, and I had a sense of direction in high school because I realized that I was preparing for my future by taking courses that might have seemed pointless otherwise.

      If you need a dream, then start looking for one. Find an interest that gives you joy like nothing else, and pursue it as hard as you can. Learn to spot the connections between mundane life and your future goals. And perhaps most importantly, don't write off college or post-secondary education! It opens your mind to things you never realized were possibilities and by giving it a chance, you're giving yourself a chance. It's so much more than just more school. And as I discovered, it's much more fun than high school. It is something that changes your life forever--for the better. It's more than just homework; it's the joy of doing something you love with all your heart and doing it for God.

     Seek God's direction. If you just don't have a dream or passion, or even a simple little thing you know you love to do or be, pray and ask him to show you. He will open your eyes and bring delight to your life. God has no desire to see you suffer with a boring career or a boring life, a life without joy. He doesn't want you to settle for less than who you are. He wants to see you flourish. That's what he made you for, and he loves you enough to bless you with a unique talent just for you.

   

 "Never settle for anything less than the life you are capable of living." ~Nelson Mandela