"Don't ask kids what they want to be when they grow up. Ask them what problems do they want to solve. This changes the conversation from who do I want to work for to what do I need to learn to be able to do that."
~ Jaime Casap
When I saw this quote on Facebook, I shared it on my timeline. Great shift, I thought.
Later, I remembered asking young schoolchildren throughout the country, "How do you want to make the world a better place?"
I heard answers like:
I want to help make water available in places that don't have it. I want to help
clean up the ocean. I want to help the rain forest. I want to help stop wars. I want to help people get along. I want to make sure that all people have enough food. I want to help homeless people. I want to help animals...
That was in 1999-2000, after reading The Twelve Gifts of Birth in elementary classrooms and discussing the gift of talent. I wonder how they would answer now. I also wonder what
those children are doing now. Have they kept their high ideals or lost them? Are they hopeful for the future? Do they believe they can make a difference?
This is a valuable question to ask ourselves too.
No matter our age, education, financial status, or any of the ways we define ourselves,
we can contribute our talents toward making the world a better place.
I hope you believe this. If you can't, please
write to me so we can brainstorm ideas together.
Let's again be like little children...hopeful, curious, enthusiastic, and idealistic. We can be all those things and practical and realistic too.
And we can each make a difference.
With love, courage, hope, and wisdom,
Charlene
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TALENT: May you discover your own special abilities and contribute them toward a better world.
(from The Twelve Gifts of Birth)
