Food for thought: Education System and Finding Fulfillment

This is likely a living post, an active brainstorm if you will.

This morning, I came across a new vocabulary word, Ikigai, which is a Japanese concept for "Reason of being"

Reflecting on a program that helped me find self-fulfillment and built many of my thought foundations (The Engler program), I noticed the following:

1. School told me to find a profession (What I am Good at and What I can be Paid for) and then find "What I love" for the weekends

2. Church told me I had unique gifts, and there were people to help (The World Needs Something).

BUT

NO ONE EVER told me all those could combine and I had something unique to offer the world that will make it a better place. (!!!)

(until the Engler program)

My time in that program reversed the thinking from school that it is mission critical to be a "well-rounded hirable person" (aka be likable), and instead it was celebrated to be a specific, unique force that positively impacts the world.

It is time to shift the focus on being "hirable" (aka likable and pleasing to people around us) and refocus on helping youth (and adults) recognize their own value in ourselves through service to the world rather than waiting for a "nice work!" from someone else. I believe this will result in true self-appreciation/confidence found within, rather than succumbing to quantifying our value to world with our paycheck.

So why is there a problem? Well, this is the golden diagram I had been shown all of my life:

The problem with these diagrams is it neglects something ingrained into us as humans:

We are designed to contribute to a community.

(and this is backed up by science of our brain chemicals like serotonin, and proven in directly through experiments like the Community Contribution project)

The word "win" itself tells me it neglects the thinking of Simon Sinek's "Infinite Game". We tell students to "win" at life, but life is not a sports game; there is no single winner; and we assume money is the score-keeping currency (Read this study proving although it doesn't hurt, it doesn't help either. My theory is that some people with money have found a need the world has, fulfilled it, and has been monetarily rewarded. It's not the money, it's the validation that they contributed)

My Call to Action for you:

1. Find your Ikigai (how to pronounce it). I do think many of us our providing a need to the world, we just need to perceive it as valuable. Our day to day jobs truly are changing the world, but our reality isn't the reality, it is our perception of reality.

2. Help our young people realize Ikigai exists so they can find confidence through themselves, not the shelves of trophies, gold stars, and bullet points on their resumes, or even the number of people they help (Read the story of the starfish. Can we convince young people that one person is enough to make a difference?)