My friend and colleague Steve Arensmeyer sent me this link from the Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/11/03/a-venture-capitalist-searches-for-the-purpose-of-school-heres-what-he-found/), and I wanted to share it with you. It resonated with me, especially as I struggle with finding the courage to do different on a grander scale with my students. And while I want to go “all in” and make the break–TOMORROW, I will wait and trust that I cannot expect that I will arrive at my destination a few days in on this next leg of my forty-year journey. One step at a time. I will leave you with the final two paragraphs of the article. Join the conversation. Your words matter.
“So back to that purpose question. Maybe, in the end, the purpose of school is to help our kids find their own sense of purpose. To prepare them for a life where they can set, and achieve, their own goals, not grind away to meet the needs of some bureaucrat or college admissions officer. Given decades of damage from our testing and accountability strategy, maybe it’s time to place our bets on a strategy that puts its weight behind engaging and inspiring our kids . . . and teachers. Imagine what our country is capable of if we figure out how to launch millions of purpose-driven kids into society prepared and energized to their world better through their talents, passions, developing skills, and ability to learn. Kids that are, truly, prepared for life.
Oh, and as for me, I’ve come full circle. As I reflect back on my past, I was pretty much a hoop jumper. Now, I wake up each morning with conviction. I’m trying things I never would have tried, learning about areas I never paid attention to, making more mistakes in a week than I used to make in a year, and risking failure in a visible way. I’m working much harder than I ever did as a venture capitalist, watching my bank account shrink, traveling non-stop, and not even pausing to ask whether it’s fun or not. In searching for the purpose of school, I found my own.”
–Ted Dentsmith
“The Purpose Driven Life” is a book, of course, but, it is also a lifestyle. Some of us have found “our purpose.” It is the reason why we get out of bed in the morning. We greet each day with the energy that’s neccessary to make a difference. I check my EGO at the door and, reach out, to others, building the “bridges” to help my clients achieve agreed upon goals.