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  • The Importance of Being True to Yourself

    The Importance of Being True to Yourself

    Each and every single one of us has a unique set of values, beliefs, and even inspirations that make us who we are as individuals. Naturally, as we progress through life, these very important elements that lie at the very core of our existence will slightly alter and adjust in a manner to allow for the new experiences and situations that we have endured. Life is much like a sea… at one time; we may drift peacefully and quietly atop the glistening waters. Then, there will be situations in which we must work to keep ourselves afloat waters that are ferocious and ominous in nature.

    Yes, it is true, there will be treacherous waters and frightening and intimidating clouds that linger among us throughout life, but it is essential that we each realize the importance of being true to ourselves. Is it not true that in the roughest of seas men learn to survive? Is it not among the violent waves that men learn to welcome and appreciate the calm surfaces of the water? Is it not true that when men face the evil of the storm that they relish in the calm that occurs after the thunders and treacherous waves have passed? If you are searching for the importance of being true to yourself, consider the man that was consumed by something much larger than he.

    In order to be true to yourself in the midst of peace and calmness, you must stand firm in your beliefs when staring opposition in the face. This is what assists in developing who you are, this is what defines you… your ability to overcome and learn.

    Many times in life, we will be faced with temptations that may defy who we are as individuals. It is so much easier to go with the natural flow of the tide than to push against it. It is human nature to want to experience as little complications as possible. What you must consider is if you are denying yourself of some important lesson, of something much bigger than you or you ever imagined. If floating with the direction of the tide defies you as an individual, and you feel as if you will not gain any type of insight as to who you are, or it does not allow you to stand alongside of your personal beliefs and convictions, turn that boat around and push with all of your might against the tide.

    It is better for a man to be true to who he is, rather than deny himself of all the rewards he will experience as standing alone in his personal convictions and beliefs.

    Being true to yourself is a very rewarding experience. Many experiences and situations will come your way and threaten the very existence of your unique stand in life. We pass over many different waves in life, many ships come in, and many ships pass us by. In many cases, animals of the wild such as sharks will want to engulf us in order to define their existence. Stormy skies will sometimes linger over us, and violent wars sometimes rest on the banks of life. In all of these things, you must stand strong in who you are. Allowing these situations to overcome you, violate you, and even control you in any way, just may be the point in which you lose sight of the horizon, sight of who you truly are.

  • Embrace Your Weirdness

    Embrace Your Weirdness

    A lot of people spend time trying to fit in. They don’t want to stand out or be considered different, weird, awkward or strange. Having the same clothes, interests and ideas seems like the most important thing in the world. Everyone just wants to fit in.

    But who established what is normal ?  And what exactly is considered weird? For most people, normal is what they are used to and weird is what they are not used to.

    The word weird is defined by www.dictionary.com in three ways, one of which is fantastic and bizarre. Interesting, isn’t it, how we took a word meaning fantastic and bizarre and created a label for people with an unflattering connotation? When you look at it like that, being “weird” really doesn’t seem that bad. In fact, some of the most successful people in the world were considered strange, different or weird growing up.

    Take Justin Timberlake, for example. He was once quoted as saying, “I grew up in Tennessee, and if you didn’t play football, you were a sissy. I got slurs all the time because I was in music and art.” He also suffers from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), both of which haven’t stopped him from succeeding.

    Prince Harry was ridiculed and bullied for being a redhead. He was quoted as saying he was teased “for being ginger.” However, not everyone made fun of him. His fellow soldiers in the British Army all wore red wigs to make him stand out less in combat.

    Michael Phelps is one of the most successful Olympians of all time, but as a kid his long limbs, large ears, and lisp caused him to be bullied and teased by his classmates. He also has ADD, and was told he’d “never be able to focus on anything.” Yet he didn’t let that stop him. He used all of his feelings, both good and bad, as motivation to win and as a result became the most decorated Olympian of all-time (winning 22 medals, 18 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze).

    Chris Colfer, who plays Kurt on Glee, was called a “freak” growing up. He said, “I was teased daily, mainly because of my voice. They said I sounded like a chipmunk! Now everyone likes to remind me how they used to be my best friend, but I have a very good memory- that wasn’t always the case.”

    Lady Gaga has said she didn’t have the best high school experience. She said she didn’t fit in as a teen. “I wanted to be like Boy George and I felt like a freak. So I like to create this atmosphere for my fans where they feel like they have a freak in me to hang out with, and they don’t feel alone.”

    The list of differences goes on and on…

    Albert Einstein, whose name is pretty much synonymous with genius, was a theoretical physicist, and one of the most renowned scientists of all time. However, he didn’t talk until he was four and he didn’t learn to read until he was seven. It is now believed he had Asperger’s Syndrome, which is a form of Autism. Sir Isaac Newton is also believed to have had Asperger’s, and he too was a mathematical and scientific genius.

    Jay Leno, Orlando Bloom, Vince Vaughan, Alexander Graham Bell, John Lennon and Muhammad Ali all had dyslexia.

    Christopher Columbus, Karina Smirnoff, Eleanor Roosevelt, JFK, Walt Disney, Will Smith, Jim Carey and Ernest Hemingway and Bill Gates had ADD.

    Mozart, Daryl Hannah, Tim Burton, Andy Warhol and Susan Boyle all had or have forms of Autism.

    All of these people were considered weird for how they behaved, what they felt and what made them different. They all experienced obstacles they needed to overcome, and they did so by embracing their weirdness. They didn’t let others define who they were and what their limits would be.  They used their uniqueness to their advantage and succeeded. So don’t be afraid to embrace your weirdness too. As Lady Gaga has said, “let your teenage freak flag fly.”

  • Don’t Stress, Just Follow Your Heart

    Don’t Stress, Just Follow Your Heart

    Maybe you’re in your first year of high school or maybe you’re going to be graduating this year.  At whatever stage you are in, choosing a career path is probably on your mind. While some people know exactly what their whole future is going to look like, that is not always the case. Either way, a lot of us are plagued by uncertainty and fear when it comes to figuring out what kind of career we want to pursue in the future. Don’t worry – chances are a lot of your fellow classmates are in the same boat and feel the same way.

    Choosing a career path can seem like you’re choosing the tone for your whole life.  There are so many factors to consider when choosing the career that is just right for you. Questions that may cross your mind are: will this make me happy? Will I have financial security in this field? However, people get caught up in considering so many angles that the one factor they forget to consider is simply following their heart. This may sound a bit cheesy, but isn’t your heart always right?

    Sometimes parents will put pressure on you to choose a certain career path. Maybe they want you to follow in their footsteps and choose the same profession they’re in. Also, it may seem like a lot of your friends are choosing a particular career and it seems like it would be safe to go along with whatever they are choosing. Yet, if you are choosing a career based on what your parents want or what your friends want then you are not taking the time to figure out what is really important to you.

    You may also wish to seek the help of a guidance counselor. They may suggest career paths that they think will be suitable for you. However, remember that it is you that will be in this field one day and not them. So really consider what they are saying and if that career will make you happy.

    Don’t let choosing a career become stressful or a burden in your life. It is something that you will determine as you continue school. You will take different classes that you will either enjoy –  or you won’t. You will also explore different interests which will expand your horizons. Some of these classes and interests will appeal to you more than others. Through this process you will probably gravitate towards a certain career field. Your heart will lead you in the right direction.

  • MBTI Preferences

    MBTI Preferences

    When embarking on the journey to self-discovery in relation to your ideal career, it can be useful to get tested on your MBTI Preferences. MBTI stands for Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and is a test created for identifying four dimensions to your personality. These four dimensions, if understood and integrated into your sense of self, can help you to make more sound decisions in relation to your career path. When we can answer the question “why” about career choice, we feel more certain and rooted in our choice. The four dimensions are:

    1) Where do you get your energy? a) Extroversion, or b) Introversion

    2) How do you prefer to take in information? a) Sensing, or b) Intuition

    3) How do you make decisions? a) Thinking, or b) Feeling

    4) How do you deal with the outer world? a) Judging, or b) Perceiving

    The first dimension, relating to where you get your energy, involves questioning if you tend to reach outwards (extroversion) or reach inwards (introversion) to replenish yourself. A good way to pose this question to yourself is to ask: “Do I prefer interacting with people and taking action or do I prefer reflecting on thoughts, memories and experiences?”  You may find that this is a tricky question to answer for lack of context and that your behavior varies in different situations, so it is hard to come to one conclusion. If so, it is useful to look at a list of characteristics of extroverts and introverts and identify which category you relate with more. Once you’ve identified your type, you will be able to understand yourself and your social relationships better and eventually identify which career would provide you with the best opportunity to work with your strengths.

    The second dimension of the MBTI preferences tool relates to how you prefer to take in information in your environment. “Sensing” is the term used to identify people who think in terms of facts, with a tendency towards learn theory through practical application. “Intuition” is the term used to identify people who think in imaginative terms, with a tendency towards learning through understanding of ideas and theories before practical application. Knowing which side of this dimension you fall on would be highly useful to those deciding on whether to attend college or university, as “sensing” types would definitely prefer college, and “intuition” types would prefer university.

    The third dimension of the MBTI preferences tool helps you identify how you make decisions. People who tend to be “thinking” types are people who are guided by logic and standard operating procedures; they are oriented around the “typical case” and are they are analytical in situations. These people can be tough-minded and are always reasonable. The “feeling” types, oppositely, are people who are guided by personal values and assessing impacts of decisions on people, treating people as individuals and being empathetic in situations. This MBTI dimension would be extremely useful to help with identifying what type of work environment you would thrive in and what types of managers/coworkers you would collaborate with best.

    The final dimension of the MBTI preferences tool helps you to understand how you deal with the outer world. People who use “judging” to understand the outer world prefer to live in a planned, orderly way with a schedule and everything organized. This category of people tend to prefer to have things decided; to use methodical and systematic procedures in their work and personal lives. People who prefer “perceiving” to understand the outer world prefer to live in a spontaneous, flexible way, with an open-ended schedule and everything open to change. Knowing which side of this dichotomy you fall to will help you to nail down the type of environment where you will thrive. If you are someone who prefers rigid structure, you may do well in an office environment. If you are someone who prefers flexibility and spontaneity, you may prefer a job working in the field such as a police officer or an on-call doctor.

  • Brand Yourself: Why It Works

    Brand Yourself: Why It Works

    You are special. You have unique gifts, talents, and qualities to offer the world. You know this, your family and friends know this – but does the world? This is the question you need to ask yourself, because when you enter the job market after graduating from university or college you will be a small fish in a big pond, and there are a lot of fish in that pond!

    In today’s knowledge-driven society, most people have a post-secondary education. In fact, according to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, “in 2011 about 53% of Canadians aged 15 and over had trade certificates, college diplomas, and university degrees – an increase of 20 percentage points since 1990.” In other words, educational attainment will no longer set you apart from the crowd or give you a huge advantage over your competition.

    What’s the solution to this conundrum? Brand yourself! Whether you realize this or not, others are always branding you in their minds according to the image you project (consciously or unconsciously). According to the Business Insider, “human brains are wired to do this as a ‘short cut’ to make sense of the world. Without short cuts life would be confusing, complicated, and in some cases dangerous.” Your brain does you a favour by simplifying the world as much as possible.

    Indeed, the Boss Ladies report that it takes less than 30 seconds for an individual to form a lasting impression of you, and a whopping “20 further experiences with a person to change a negative first impression [someone has of you].” In addition, since employers receive, on average, between 75 and 105 applications for every job opening, they spend only 15-30 seconds reviewing each application – so they make almost a snap decision of whether you’re fit for the position or not. But don’t get stressed out about these statistics or feel defeated. You can take control of your “brand” and how others perceive you, and knowing this is the first step to creating the image you want to project.

    Tom Peters coined the term “Personal Brand” in his book called The Brand Called You. Your personal brand is your reputation and the public perception of who you are: your personality, values, and skills. People will decide whether they like you, trust you, and feel comfortable around you based on this judgement of who you are, regardless of who you really are as a person deep down inside. In fact, this snap judgement is very superficial. Your job is to make sure that the image you project to the world is authentic and relates to whom you really are.

    An authentic personal brand is a strong brand. You must take the time to get to know yourself on a deep level – who you are, what are your likes and dislikes, what are your values, etc. — so that you project a strong and consistent brand to the outside world. A strong brand is a powerful tool and will help you to stand out in the minds of others in a positive way. You can feel at ease and confident that the image you’re projecting on a daily basis is the image you want others to see.

    So, “always look put together,” says Divine Caroline. “You never know who you’ll meet at the grocery store.”

  • Life After High School

    Do you ever think about what you plan to do when you finish high school? Maybe you want to work right away or maybe you want to continue studying. For the first time, you’ll be making decisions that could affect you, your family, and your friends for the rest of your life. You can’t control everything in your life, but you can make a plan that will help you to enjoy whatever you do and to have a fulfilling life.

    You might expect that life after graduation will be completely different from your life in high school. For some of you, this might be true. You might decide to get married or to move to a different country or a different city. Suddenly, you’ll have to make your own decisions about your future, and even if your parents help, you’ll be responsible for your own life. You’ll be an adult.

    For at least the first while, your new freedom might seem very exciting. If you decide to go out and get a job, the freedom of having money might be a lot of fun. You might decide to get a job right away working in the retail or service industries. You might decide to go to university to become a doctor or teacher or go to a vocational school for a career in a trade.

    If you choose to work right after graduation, you might find that your job is a lot like high school. You’ll have to get to work on time and stay for the whole day unless you have a special reason to leave. If you miss work too often without a good excuse, you might lose your job.

    If you choose to continue with your education, you might find that your instructors pay little attention to whether or not you attend classes. You could attend only the first and last classes and still get good marks. However, you’ll still have to take all of the tests and complete all of the assignments if you want to pass the course. The professors likely won’t watch over you the same way teachers do in high school, but they’ll still expect you to get your work done.

    One thing that will likely stay the same after high school is the types of people you meet. Whether at work or in university, you’ll find the same mixture of friendly or unfriendly people, helpful or unhelpful, tense or relaxed. You will probably also remain much the same. Different situations might bring out skills and interests you never knew you had. However, your basic character will probably remain unchanged. That’s why it’s important to begin thinking about not just what you want to do, but what kind of person you want to be.

    Does life after high school sound like the kind of life you already have or like an exciting adventure that is opening up? In the end, both of these possibilities might be true. Use this opportunity to be everything you’ve always wanted to be.

  • Discover What You Love To Do

    Discover What You Love To Do

    Do what you love. You’ve probably already heard this advice plenty of times before. But what if you don’t know what you love doing? What if the question, “what do you love to do?” results in a blank stare on your face? Don’t worry, you aren’t alone. There are a lot of people (young and old) who don’t know what they love to do. The irony is that the answer is already within you. You just have to pay attention to the clues to find out what it is.

    Here is a little exercise which might help you gain some clarity on what you love doing or what your interests are. First, find a quiet spot away from all distractions. Turn off the TV, your phone and any other thing that could distract you when completing this exercise.

    Next, take out a blank sheet of paper and write the title Interests. Write down anything and everything you are interested in. For instance, if you are interested in bugs, write bugs. If you are interested in fashion, write fashion. If you are interested in plants, write plants. If you are stumped for things to write, try to think of activities you currently do which you completely get lost in — where time just seems to fly by! (The clock seems to be extra slow when doing activities you don’t enjoy!) For example, if you get completely absorbed fixing a car, then writing fixing cars as one of your interests. Or if you get completely engrossed baking a cake, then put down baking as one of you interests.

    Once you feel you have made a thorough list of your interests, look over the list you just wrote. Do you notice any similarities between the different items on your list? Does one interest seem to pop up several times on your list? If it helps, highlight similar interests in the same colour.

    Now, if you had to pick three interests from your list, which three would you choose? Be honest with yourself. Consider which things you truly enjoy. Could you see yourself doing one or more of these things for many years to come? Does this thought excite you or fill you with dread? If it fills you with excitement, then you know you are on the right track.

    Remember, do what you love. Those four words are the most important words to keep in mind when choosing a career path. If you choose a career path or job that involves something you love doing, you will be much happier and fulfilled than if you choose one in which you don’t. So discover what you love to do, and pursue a career path which reflects that. Good luck!

  • Exploring Careers in Your Field of Interest

    Exploring Careers in Your Field of Interest

    You may already know what you love to do. Great! So what’s the next step? The next step would be figuring out what kinds of jobs are available within your field of interest. Did you know that there are many career paths you can take for any one thing you love to do and are interested in? For example:

    • If you love to write, you could consider a job that involves writing. There are many jobs that would be a perfect fit for a person who loves to write. For instance, you could be a newspaper or magazine columnist, you could work as a copywriter for an advertising agency or you could even be an author!
    • If you love to dance, you could be a dancer. But you could also be a dance teacher or even choreographer!
    • If you love to work with animals, you may be interested in being a veterinarian, animal trainer, zoo keeper or even biologist.
    • If you love to work with your hands, then you may want to consider carpentry, auto mechanics, engineering, dentistry or even massage therapy.
    • If you are an outdoorsy person, then sitting at a desk job is definitely not your thing. Instead, consider jobs in which people primarily work outdoors, such as construction workers, landscapers, forest rangers or even adventure travel guides.
    • If you love to work with children, professions such as teacher, pediatrician, child psychologist or early childhood education assistant would be right up your alley!

    As the above examples show, there are many different career paths available within a certain area of interest. Do a little bit of research to discover what career opportunities align with your interests. Try to determine which of these various careers you would be interested in pursuing and why. Read profiles of various jobs to get a sense of what they involve. And finally, if possible, talk to people who work in these jobs. After all, the best way to find out what a job is all about is to talk to someone who is already doing it!