I know this much about your journey: You likely have studied or will be studying at AU. You have worked or will likely work a career. And you’ve suffered hardships and heartaches.
I write because I pray your journey leads to success. Author Lana Otoya says “One way to make sure your journey is fulfilling is to make sure you’re living your life congruent with your personality, deepest values, strengths, passions, and mission” (location 1785 of 3222, 55%).
Before you journey into an AU major, let me urge you to take a career test. Career tests can reveal your perfect major—and dream career. “Thankfully, there is a high-quality measure available online for a relatively small fee …. This is the Jackson Vocational Interest Survey, or JVIS ….You can take the test online here: http://FriesenPerformance.com.jvis.com/take” (location 1682 of 3222, 52%).
When you discover your interests, enroll in your ideal faculty; pursue your perfect career. And give it all you’ve got. “Maybe your dream is to get into the top medical school or take your start-up business to the next level. Whatever the dream, the principles are the same. You get only one shot at this life, so make the best of it. No regrets” (location 77 of 3222, 2%).
But you will face hardships. We all do. I have dreams of giving 100% unconditional love to a career. To achieve this, I hope to never speak ill of corporate faults, but to nurture passion instead for corporate strengths. Despite these goals, my weakness remains stress. Anxiety attacks. Fear of failure. Somehow, I must overcome these faults. Somehow, we all must overcome our faults. And I believe unconditional love paves the way.
But we each have unique values—and personalities. “Your personality and values at times seem to be incongruent. For example, you can value calm and stability, but have a personality style that makes you susceptible to negative emotions and stress” (location 1300 of 3222, 40%). That’s me. You may have your own personality challenges, but none of them make you any less than incredible. We are all on our own separate journeys. Your journey is as precious as anyone else’s. But tread the path that best suits your personality and values.
But regardless of the path you choose, struggle will be part of your journey. “The reality is that you are going to face pain and setbacks no matter which path you choose …. Even if you make the best choice for you, realize and accept that it will still be a struggle …. Even if you … find your dream job or reach your goal, there will still be parts of it that you don’t like or that are hard or make you uncomfortable” (location 1773 of 3222, 55%). I battle stress. And I worry about my skillset. But I brim with passion which keeps my chin high. Your passions will build you up, too.
Despite our passions, we all face hardships and heartaches. But these trials can pay off. I suffered during my university degrees. Terribly. I got a master’s degree, but I didn’t reach my dream of a Ph.D. So, I’m working through the heartache. I struggle to place no blame on others, but instead to find forgiveness, understanding, and gratitude. “Whether you suffer depends on how you see it. If you live your life and pursue goals that are in line with who you are, what you value, and your purpose or mission, then the struggle will be worth it” (location 1785 of 3222, 55%).
So, know your strengths, values, passions, interests, and personality. My hope is that, by knowing yourself, your journey leads to success.
References
Otoya, Lana. (2018). The Mindset of Small Talk: How Mastering Small Talk Has Nothing to Do with Coming Up with Things to Say. E-book.
[The Study Dude has changed a lot over the years. From what used to be almost a point form summation of a book, to an article bringing together personal connections with advice from authors and professionals. This one, another from our August 2 edition, was pointed out by a student as one of her favorites from the whole series, which she also enjoys. Of course it had to be here.]
