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Tag: dreams

  • How Do I Know What to Be?

    How Do I Know What to Be?

    This is a question that you might ask yourself as a student. How do you know what to be? To figure that out, you need to think about what you like to do and what you’re good at. Maybe you’re good at painting so you might want to become an artist. Maybe you enjoy science so you might be interested in becoming a doctor. Maybe you like to play sports so you join the soccer or basketball team because you want to become an athlete as your career.

    The best part about school is that you have the opportunity to find out what you enjoy and what you are good at. Maybe you do better at certain subjects than others. This is something to keep in mind. Also join clubs. There are so many available like the art club, drama club, math club, join any you think that you would enjoy.

    Towards the end of high school is when you will really start to figure out what you want to do because you have gone through all these experiences. The best thing to do is to pursue a career that you would enjoy and will do well at so make sure you take advantage of all the opportunities that are available to you in elementary school and high school. This is your time to explore. Also if you’re not really sure what you want to go, ask your teachers and guidance counsellors. They can assist you and help guide you to the right career path.

  • The Importance of Being a Dreamer

    The Importance of Being a Dreamer

    Without having dreams, you may find that your life is kind of boring. Although being realistic about life is important, it’s good to have dreams as well.

    Maybe you are in school full-time and you work two part-time jobs to cover the costs for school and yourself. You are starting to feel stressed and exhausted. Knowing your overall purpose and goals in doing all of this is important. You need to finish school to get that degree so you can nab your dream career and live the lifestyle that you want. That’s your dream and, in order to make that come true, you need to do whatever it takes now to accomplish that for your future.

    Maybe you are working a 9-5 dead-end job and don’t feel fulfilled in your life. You have reached a point in your life where you feel there is no career growth in your job and you feel you are stuck because you have responsibilities and bills to pay. Who has time to dream, you may ask yourself? What can possibly come of it?

    If you don’t allow yourself to dream, you are truly doing an injustice to yourself. You may have decided at a young age exactly what you wanted to be when you grew up. But now that you are planning to go to university to achieve that goal (or perhaps you are already there), are you happy? You have to ask yourself what is it that you really want to do. What are you passionate about? Maybe you want to be a dancer or a writer. What’s stopping you from pursuing your dreams? The answer is you.

    Yes it’s important to pay those bills. But why not have that full-time job and pursue your dreams on the side? If you want to be a dancer, take some dance classes on the side to perfect your craft and connect with people in the dance industry.

    If you want to be a writer, start emailing editors of blogs, magazines and newspapers and say you are interested in contributing even if it for no pay. This way you will establish contacts in the journalism industry, you can get exposure and you can build your portfolio. These are just a few examples.

    You will be pleasantly surprised to discover that your dreams can become a reality. This is why it’s so important to continue dreaming – you never know what can come out of them.

  • Allow Yourself to Dream

    Allow Yourself to Dream

    Life can be hard. Sometimes things can go so wrong that it seems like they’ll never be right again. It is in those moments that we may lose hope, that we may cease looking at the glass as half full and silently wonder to ourselves how long it will take before it is completely empty. It is in those moments that many of us stop dreaming, we lose momentum and stop looking forward to the things that make life worth living. Losing sight of our hopes and dreams is akin to losing parts of ourselves.

    When we were kids we all wanted to grow up to be something that we thought was great. We dreamed big, did what we wanted and spoke loudly and no one could tell us that our crazy dreams and plans to execute them didn’t make any sense. You know why; because those dreams belonged to us, they defined us, molded us into the kids that we were, the teenagers we became and oftentimes into the young adults that we are now. Whatever dreams we chose to believe in, became our reality. It was the driving force of our existence and nothing could have made us happier, well, except for a lot of chocolate and candy. For most of us, as we became teenagers we lost that carefree dreaming; responsibilities become a thing of reality that imposed itself upon our world – school, siblings, parents, part-time jobs, relationships; for many of us things became overwhelming.

    When our lives starts to spin out of our control that is when our dreams take on a crucial role. The act of dreaming or, as I like to call it, “envisioning a positive change”, becomes a tool for metamorphosis. All great feats in live began with a dream. Professional coaches know a thing or two about the power of dreaming, in fact, many coaches tell their players to envision their win. A player who continuously dreams about success is more likely obtain it. This method of dreaming success into reality can apply to all aspects of our lives. Getting that grade, job, apartment, acceptance into that school are all possible when we allow ourselves to dream and put in the necessary work towards making that dream a reality.

    Aside from being able to accomplish our goals, the act of dreaming can have a positive and immediate effect on a person both physically and mentally. Good dreams can cause the body to relax, oftentimes increasing our ability to think more clearly. Our levels of stress can be reduced resulting in peace of mind. Short term patterns of dreams and success can lead to increased confidence and risk taking which propels long term patterns of dreams and success leading us to happier and oftentimes healthier lives.

    So the next life throws you a curve ball and you feel like your dreams are a waste of time, remember that all great feats began with one.

  • What Should I Be?

    What Should I Be?

    With countless options available, the pool of career options may seem frightening.

    There are many ways to figure out what you want to be and many things to consider along the way.

    Firstly, what do you enjoy doing? Even if your hobbies or interests don’t seem like they would provide careers for your future, it’s a great starting point to identify the types of jobs and fields you may be interested in. Some hobbies or interests may have clear career options, like an animal lover pursuing a career as a vet or zoologist, or an artistic person becoming a graphic designer or book illustrator. Other hobbies or interests might require some additional thought. For example, if you like hockey and don’t foresee the NHL in your future, you could work in Sport Management or Sport Marketing. If you enjoy being outdoors with nature you could be an environmental technologist. The options are endless.

    It’s also important to think about what you’ll want from a career. For some people, the goal is to make as much money as possible, for others to work a job that they enjoy, and for many people a bit of both. Identifying your priorities when thinking about the future is important. For example, if you like storytelling but want to make a lot of money and work steady hours, writing novels may not be the best option. A job as a news editor or reporter may prove more fruitful, or perhaps a career in public relations. By combining what you like to do with what you want from life, you’ve made great progress toward figuring out what you want to be.

    Most importantly, remember that you don’t have to settle on a specific career right away. You may know that you want to work toward a future that will fulfill your love of history, perhaps working in a museum or teaching history, or something else. It’s important to always account for change and be open to exploring other options as your knowledge and experience grow. Your career choice is never set in stone.

    No matter what you’re going to be, you’re sure to find a future of happiness if you take the time to know what you like and what’s important to you. You don’t have to choose your career right now – just follow your heart and do what makes you happy!

  • I Want to Be A Robot!

    I Want to Be A Robot!

    Miss Inglis’ kindergarten class at Parliament Oak elementary school had to answer a special question this week. The question: what do you want to be when you grow up?

    The study of childhood occupation aspirations has been going on for decades and approached from many different angles. From the psychological transition of fantasy to realistic choices, to gendered influences on the traditional roles children choose.

    In a 1952 Ginzberg study, it was noted that children go through three stages in choosing occupations: “fantasy choices (before age 11); tentative choices (ages 11 to 17); and realistic choices (ages 17 to young adulthood).”

    Parliament Oak kindergartener Jack wants to be a robot. Maddie wants to be a rock star and James wants to be a spy.

    These children’s choices are fantastical. But as the workforce in Canada shifts towards the service industry and technological occupations, even a mail carrier may soon be considered a fantasy career choice.

    However, some career choices will stand the test of time. For example, kindergartener Ciaran wants to be an animal scientist, and Alexander wants to be a doctor. Career choices in science are likely to continue to be in high demand despite rapid changes in technology.

    Gender influences noted by scientists Levy, Sadovsky, Troseth, and Stroeher determined that early in life, especially from ages four to seven, young boys and girls are likely to choose traditionally male or female careers.

    This was a very common theme in Mrs. Inglis’ class; Oskar wanted to be a soccer player, Brian a policeman, Sophie a hair stylist, and Katherine a bride. However, social psychologists Garrett and Tremaine reported, “as children get older, they tend to be more flexible in choosing non-stereotyped careers”.

    An interesting aspect of these studies done in the 1970s is that boys reported to have double the amount of fantastical career choices than young girls. Garrett and Tremaine’s research noted, “girls learn early on that few adult vocations are open to them.”

    Today, we are living in the crossover effect of male/female college enrolment rates. According to the Population Reference Bureau organization, it officially occurred in 1993 and now leaves males seven percentage points behind females when it comes to college populations.  This change improves the likelihood of female success in the workplace and increases their vocational opportunities.

    Mrs. Inglis’ class did not reflect that change, with boys and girls averaging at very similar amounts of choices. The students are set to graduate this week, and it will be neat to see what they will become, and who will find success in the workforce of the future. My money is on the robot kid, but only time will tell.

  • Follow Your Instincts

    Follow Your Instincts

    There is pressure to know what career you ought to settle on for the rest of your life, even well before you are finished high school. Students are guided toward a career at a young age and are expected to follow the direct path counselors and parents present to them. Decisions about the future can be made for a variety of reasons including salary, job availability and aptitude, but there is no better reason than natural inclination and passion to help you determine your future employment.

    When it comes to how to choose what to do for the rest of your life, it is most important to take your time and really consider what it is that you enjoy. Is there something you love to do and learn about? Why not consider investing in education to make it your profession? If you follow your passion and interests you will find yourself working in a field that allows you to build continuing joy in your life. Take a closer look at your hobbies and investigate whether or not you could see yourself making a living in a relatable field. Work does not need to be mere labour; it has the potential to be a labour of love.

    The next step is confirmation. Can you turn your interests into a profession? Investigate, research and do your homework. What kinds of jobs are available in your area of interest? Is it really feasible or should you continue to search other avenues?

    Now that you have found something you think you would love to do, take the next step and offer your time as a volunteer. Be bold and assertive. Talk yourself into a place of business that you can learn from and experience the tangible reality of your choice. If you do this and discover you are not suited to the trade or craft, do not be afraid to change paths. Perhaps a pivot rather than a jump is in order. You may not need to change directions completely but simply tweak the dream a little to suit your needs.

    It is important to lean on your intuition when it comes to your future. Do not decide on a career solely based on numbers. To do that is a potential set up for burn out and early disenchantment. Take the time to understand what you really enjoy and trust that you have the skill set to see your dreams realized. It takes more than hard work to be successful – there is a necessary component of happiness and contentment that not only sets the course, but helps define just what success means to you.

    When you follow your instincts and choose a career path based on something you enjoy, life becomes an exploration of your interests and the anticipation of each new day lingers well into the future.