In Parker Palmer's book, Let Your Life Speak, he points out the important element of finding one's vocation or purpose in life, and that is: To be yourself, not someone else. We can find the most meaning and be the most productive in life when we are striving to be the very best versions of ourselves rather than mimicking someone else and trying to achieve what someone else achieves. In our modern world, success is often defined as the amount of money you make, the number of friends you have, or your popularity. In all of the gauges of success, we are forced to compare ourselves with others. In fact, someone who has two best friends makes a living as a special needs teacher is just as successful as someone who is a multi-millionaire CEO and has 100 friends.
I completely agree with Parker's assertions, although sometimes they are hard to remember in my daily life as I compare myself with every other girl that goes to Mount. There is so much diversity in our world, and if we compare and try to live up to another person's standards, we will never reach our own potential. As Parker says, we spend half of our lives not using our gifts, so instead, we should utilize them from the onset and embrace our talents.
No comments:
Post a Comment