calling mission teens young people Sep 05, 2017
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about calling and mission.
I am fortunate to be a co-founder of an incredible little school in Grand Rapids, MI that is putting calling and mission at the forefront. We are excited to see our students (we call them heroes) grow in their gifts and passions. We recognize that they do and will learn at a tremendous rate when they are motivated, excited, inspired, and engaged in the learning process. They are learning to “do” and “be” not nearly just learning to “know”.
I am also fortunate to have a successful LifePlanning practice, where I get to sit with adults for two consecutive days and help them create a strategic operating plan for their lives.
As I think about my own calling and mission, I often think, why not just allow it to stop there? Starting two growing organizations is a lot of work and fun. Yet, my heart yearns for teens and college-aged kids… why?
Throughout my experience I believe that we’ve done a terrible job empowering and inspiring young people towards an exciting future. All they know, and all they’ve been told, is to “get good grades, get into a good college, get a good job.” Now, after being in the real world for quite a few years, I’ve come to realize that this path has nothing to do with joy, happiness, peace, and fulfillment.
Young people are stressed to the max and completely overwhelmed.
My dream is that they will begin to see their value and discover their unique contribution to the world. That they can talk full ownership of their future and realize that the path they choose to follow is completely within their control.
Finding My Future is still in its infancy, yet, I am so encouraged by each moment spent with these young people. To see their ‘aha’ moments, when the desires of their heart connect with the endless possibilities. When the stress and overwhelm shifts to excitement and an action plan. There is much work to be done, but I know the shift is coming for thousands of young people.