#859 inspiration

I was having a conversation with a new colleague and we began talking about how we got into the field we are in.  Nobody starts out to go into higher education (or a host of other careers that are out there) and we were sharing the seminal moment when we knew we had found our calling.

For me, my journalism aspirations ended and my career in student activities was sealed when a student gave me a picture of himself holding a "thanks 4 the world" sign in front of the Great Wall of China.  Up until that point, he had never left his hometown, even to attend our university, but through his involvement in student life he gained the confidence to travel the globe.  That is why I do what I do.

My colleague works with adult students and she shared that she was committed after a specific incident after teaching a class to adults.  During the class presentations she had smelled smoke, but wasn't sure of its source.  After class, she noticed that one student had a particularly strong smokey smell and so she inquired as to whether the student was OK.  The student burst into tears and relayed that her car had been set on fire and she knew she only had a moment to grab one thing: either the kids' winter coats or her presentation for class.  She chose the latter, made the presentation and was prepared to go on with her life. That endeared my colleague to a life of helping adults better themselves through education.

Think about the why behind your career and job choice. I sincerely wish that you have a purpose and are among the lucky minority that is glad to go to work each day.  Hopefully there is an inspirational moment that you can turn to for motivation, even decades after it occurred. And better yet, I hope someday someone is recalling you when they share their story of hope.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com