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Refocusing on the “Why”

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I’m looking for a new job.  It’s a bit nerve-wracking.  I know I am capable of doing valuable work, but the great difficulty is always in finding someone who has a place for me.

Rules of the Red Rubber Ball, book by Kevin Carroll
Rules of the Red Rubber Ball, book by Kevin Carroll.

During this time, I decided to re-read a little book that has been one of my favorites for the last few years.  The book is “Rules of the Red Rubber Ball” by Kevin Carroll.  In this quick read, Mr. Carroll lets the reader into his life, and guides the reader through the experiences that helped inspire him to accomplish what simply would not have been possible in a passionless system.  I needed to re-read those words as I prepare for whatever comes next in my professional life.

Because, whatever I do for a job, my passion and my mission are still the same.  I want to help every person (especially K-12 students and those who work with them) learn to be able to define and achieve what the highest level of success means for them.

This led me back to a favorite TED video from the TEDxPugetSound event, Simon Sinek on “How great leaders inspire action”.  I’ve dealt for a long time with a world that is compulsively focused on the “what” and sometimes the “how” of education.  Some have concluded that there is no value in spending time and thought on formally defining the “why”.  Some have concluded that it is dangerous to define the “why”.  They may be right.  But, just as a full physical examination cures nothing, it is a necessary step in learning where curative resources must be focused. 

I am refocusing myself on my “why”.  In practical terms, this has made it much easier for me to look at possible job opportunities and decide whether to pursue them.  It’s not just about whether my skill set matches the job expectations, it’s about whether the work matches my life’s passion.

I’m spending a lot of time with my “red rubber ball” this week.  Rather than keeping me from finding my next job, I firmly believe it is helping me find the next job that will help me continue pursuing my purpose and my passion.

I wish the same for each and every person who reads this.