Where are you Going?

Where are you going? A simple enough question, but let’s face it, it really is a loaded question, isn’t it? Some people might reframe this question by asking whether it refers to the ‘here and now’ or a time in the future. Some people can answer this question instantly, while others struggle to answer the question with any certainty about the present, let alone some point in the distant future. While it’s true that how you answer this question depends upon the context, most of us need to stop and think about it. Many people may spend much of their life searching for direction, a focus or purpose in life, just like Alice, from the famous novel by Lewis Carroll:

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" asked Alice.
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don’t much care where," said Alice.
"Then it doesn’t matter which way you go," said the Cat.
(Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)

Parents in particular may worry about this ‘don’t care’ attitude on the part of their teenagers, who are yet to decide what career pathway, or tertiary course or future direction that they wish to pursue. Big decisions like this take time and the earlier parents start to talk to their teenagers about possible careers, the better.

Some students often lack motivation to do well at school because they’re not sure what they want to do after school. It can be a challenging and daunting prospect for many teenagers and a frustrating time for parents to say the least. Motivating and encouraging our teenagers requires stamina, patience and perseverance but it’s definitely worth the effort. Many students simply don’t know what they want to do because they haven’t found that one spark, or that one passion, that engages and excites them enough to consider a whole lifetime pursuing it.

Sir Ken Robinson describes this passion or inspiration as “The Element”. Yes, it sounds mystical but really it’s about finding that one thing that fires your imagination, that one thing that you love to do and is something that you can excel at and earn a living from or in some cases volunteer to do. As Harvey Mackay notes:

Find something you love to do,
and you’ll never have to work a day of your life.

Everyone needs someone to talk to and it’s important that teenagers know that they are being listened to by their parents. There’s no point in having a one way conversation, where the parent is doing all of the talking and the teenager is simply listening; they will just switch off for sure. Conversations need to be two way and done in a relaxed and comfortable environment. Keep an open mind in discussing options because what was true fifteen years ago, almost certainly will not be as relevant or true today.

Remember also that there are many career and tertiary study pathways open to students these days and that Gen Y and Z - the NetGeners - are more likely to change careers between five to ten times compared to Baby Boomers. Therefore, nothing is set in concrete. Opportunity to change your mind, change your tertiary course or change your future career is ever present. All is not lost, because of a change of heart.

Getting good advice and researching the career options is probably a good starting point – attending university Open Days and Career Days, is an excellent source of up-to-date and relevant information. Doing a spell of work experience is another way that students can get a taste for a particular career and firsthand knowledge of whether this career interests them.

There’s nothing like some good positive reinforcement, because it spurs us on and motivates us to keep aspiring to higher levels of excellence and to keep working hard to achieve our goals. For teenagers particularly, affirmations are important to build their self esteem and affirmations help them recognise and understand their own strengths and talents.

At the end of it all, we want what is best for our children and we want them to enjoy a happy, successful and rewarding life. Some young people will take longer than others to reach this point and ultimately, much will depend on your son or daughter’s motivation, desire to succeed and passion for his or her chosen field of study or career. Robert Louis Stevenson sums it up best, when he said:

To be what we are,
And to become what we
are capable of becoming
is the only end in life.

For all of us, not just our children, this little verse best captures what each of us should be endeavouring to do in our day to day life - whether we're working full time, home looking after our children, studying at university or looking for a job. To become what we are capable of becoming is full of possibilities isn't it? Yes, each of us has that kind of potential. We only have one life to live, so live it to the fullest and never stop searching for your passion and your purpose in life. If you've found what you're looking for, hold onto it and never let it go.

Karon Graham
Principal