Yet serious reflection is more art than science. You may not know how to get started. So let me offer a few techniques for discovering your core strengths and what kind of giving, or significant experience, might be a good fit for you.
Write It Down. Start with a pen or pencil and a blank sheet of paper.
There's nothing like reducing your thoughts to words on paper to help you focus. You're searching for a form of contribution that will bring meaning and excitement to the next phase of your life. So start by making a list of all the meaningful and exciting moments you can remember from your adult life. These may naturally center on family and work but may include extracurricular moments like playing in the tennis or softball league or with the local theater, or volunteering with the parks department or in a political campaign or mentoring a child or visiting regularly with an isolated elderly neighbor. As a starting point, a simple list of family, work, and "other" will do just fine.
Search your memory from age eighteen through today in each category.
What were your great moments at home? Maybe one was the birth of your first child. What feelings did that evoke? Sharing? Responsibility?
Commitment? Selflessness? Possibly another was a conversation with an aging grandmother. Why did it leave such an impression? Were you moved by her wisdom? Was it a sad moment? Why? Reflecting like this can give you clues to your core strengths.
Go through the same exercise at work. It's OK if "made a lot of money" finds its way onto your piece of paper. Income and the benefits that come with it may have been a critical part of your life. But try thinking harder about your work-related moments of meaning. Money may have been the result and the thing you can quickly identify. Yet think about what happened that led to the promotion or payday you have in mind. Odds are there was something inherently satisfying about the work, and that is what led to your material success. You may discover that it wasn't really the money that satisfied-but the joy of certain aspects of the job, like overcoming a challenge or learning something new or teaching something to a young colleague.
Now search your leisure hours. Think about what motivated your interests to begin with and what parts you've most enjoyed. Look also at your spiritual and social lives and your friendships. Sometimes how you pray and play tells as much about your true self as how you work and connect with family. What kind of people have you most enjoyed spending time with? What kinds of contacts have been most satisfying? What activities and events have you most enjoyed? If you were part of a team, what role did you play? Were you the captain, or did you prefer to be the scorekeeper? What skills and personality traits came alive during these endeavors? Did you take risks, did you venture into something new, did you master a skill that had previously intimidated you, or did you demonstrate courage or persistence?
No comments:
Post a Comment