Recently, the New York Times printed an op-ed article by David Brooks,
It’s Not About You,( http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/31/opinion/31brooks.html)
which got the staff of oneTRUEzone buzzing. While we agree that
Mr. Brooks did an excellent job of highlighting the confusing and often
contradictory goals set for young adults, there are other aspects of his op-
ed we strongly believe are way off base.
Through the high school and college years, we set standards that are
so difficult to achieve, we often learn how much stress young people can
handle when they simply collapse. From the release of Race to Nowhere,
to the nationwide fascination with Tiger Moms, there is no shortage of
evidence for how off track we have become in preparing students for
the realities of today’s world. David Brooks’ solution to this issue is to
remind this generation of their duty to sober up, so they can focus on
paying off their debts (and the debts we have accumulated as a nation).
As advocates for young people, we at oneTRUEzone do not believe this
approach is the right direction to pursue. Stoicism, while in vogue in this
Post Great Recession World, is unlikely to be a viable solution given the
dynamic nature of the 21st Century Global Economy.
We agree with Mr. Brooks, that the navigation skills we, as a society,
teach are not the ones a modern grad needs. However, the answer
to becoming a productive, healthy adult is not about "finding serious
things to tie yourself to...” Rather, it should be about first looking inward
to determine which opportunities to be serious about. It takes personal
exploration to bring these answers to light, and at oneTRUEzone we
commend, not criticize this approach. In fact, we are dedicated to helping
young people discover his or her own unique set of skills, abilities,
interests and passions, enabling each person to make the world a better
place, and simultaneously find his or her own niche.
Mr. Brook’s observes that, “Most will spend a decade wandering from job
to job…searching for a role.” He also observes, “most successful young
people don’t look inside and then plan a life. They look outside and find
a problem which summons their life.” At oneTRUEzone we maintain that
when serious personal exploration occurs prior to embarking on a career,
the searching and wandering will cease, and the positive contributions will
begin.
Uncovering your passions, interests and “calling”, and linking them to a
career is more likely to lead to fulfillment, balance, and success. Waiting
for the world to serve you a problem on a silver platter, with a side of self-
fulfillment and a helping of monetary enticement, is not just unreasonable,
it's counterproductive. Studies show that most people do not like their
work, even dread it, and do not feel like they make much of a difference!
These are not results we should be proud of. They are signs that
exploration by youth is actually necessary and worthy of our support and
assistance. At oneTRUEzone, we sincerely hope that when we tell college
grads to "lose themselves" in their work, we are referring to the experience
of “flow”, where personal fulfillment coexists with the spark that drives them
to make the world a better place.
What do you think the right balance is?
