This week, we’re asking students to write ONE SENTENCE that describes their meaningful work. We are using the Meaningful Work Activity (link below) to help them pick their major(s) and identify future experiences. The goals is to figure out how they want to serve others, make a positive contribution, and become a better person. As a foundation for this activity, we are using the following quote by William Damon to support the importance of this activity:
“The purposeful are those who have found something meaningful to dedicate themselves to, who have sustained this interest over a period of time, and who express a clear sense of what they are trying to accomplish in the world and why. They have found a cause or ultimate goal that inspires their efforts from day to day and helps them fashion a coherent future agenda. They know what they want to accomplish and why, and they have taken concerted steps to achieve their ambitions.”
Want more? For further exploration, check out these articles/videos with thought-provoking questions to explore the prospects of being a part of “the purposeful”:
- (Article) How to Know If You’re Working (and Living) With Purpose – http://www.inc.com/shelley-prevost/how-to-know-if-youre-working-with-purpose.html
- (Article) 7 Strange Questions That Help You Find Your Life Purpose (thought-provoking, but explicit language) – https://markmanson.net/life-purpose
- (Video) Sean Aiken: What Makes you Come Alive, 52 Weeks, 52 Jobs – http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxVancouver-Sean-Aiken-52-Wee
- (Video) Scott Dinsmore: How to find work you love – https://www.ted.com/talks/scott_dinsmore_how_to_find_work_you_love
And if you’d like a challenge, complete our Meaningful Work Activity, a chance for you to create a statement that defines how you’d like to make a positive contribution by serving others . You can download the activity here: meaningful-work-statement-activity-10-14-16
Instead of the often-asked question, “What can I do with this major?,” we challenge them with, “How do you want to serve the world?” – then explore majors and construct experiences aligned with their meaningful work statement. The latter question presents much different (and yet more enriching and meaningful) coaching conversations than the former. This activity (and others) are all part of our Life Design Catalyst Coaching Program (https://lifedesigncatalyst.wordpress.com/training/).
What if we could coach every students in becoming a member of “the purposeful?” How would that change education – and our world?
The Dream Dean 