What Do You Want? What Can You Offer?

Chris Guillebeau, creator of the website The Art of Non-Conformity, has been a huge inspiration for me.  I have been exploring his website and revisiting passages of his book The Art of Nonconformity and it has really inspired me to chase some of my dreams.  I agree with many of Chris Guillebeau's beliefs that materialistic things are less important then our actual experiences and that traveling is the best way one can invest in his own development as a person.  Chris fights against the status quo and conventions.  He believes that people do not need to "settle" for tradition 9-5 jobs or live mundane lives.  The universe is waiting for us all to carve out our niche!  I am excited to pick up my chisel!

I recently read Guillebeau's internet manifesto"A Brief Guide to World Domination"and two questions that he poses have made me think deeply, and I believe they are questions that we should all consider and attempt to answer.  Guillebeau states that "the two most important questions in the universe" that those who want to live remarkable or unconventional lives need to ask themselves are:

#1: What do you really want to get out of life?

#2: What can you offer the world that no one else can?


I have thought deeply about these questions recently, and they are certainly not new ideas for me to ponder.  I have always been dedicated to my purpose, it is what lead me to become a teacher, but I feel that I WANT something more then just a traditional teaching career.  I remember my dad telling me that "the world is your oyster." I've always wanted to experience as much of that oyster as possible, but while doing so or in the process, offering everything I have to give to the world.

My next entry will be an attempt at hashing out some of these questions.  For now, I am road tripping to New Orleans and seeing some of the South on the way :). It's always nice to get away from the computer. See you back sometime after February 18th.

Next Step

In light of my recent life changes, many people have asked me, "what will you do next?"  My only solid, confirmed plans thus far are to receive my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification and to go on a road trip to Kentucky, Nashville, and New Orleans with my friend Justice on February 9th until the 17th (I want to be back in time for my brother's 21st birthday on the 18th).  Otherwise, I plan to enjoy the spring-like weather we have been receiving in Southeastern Pennsylvania, catch up on some personal reading, exercise/play sports that I enjoy, and reflect.

I have received similar advice from some educators and others who do not know me well: "Go look for another job!" A lot of people who I have talked to have said that right now is when lots of long-term sub positions open up in schools and that I would be able to land a job for the remainder of the year.  This would be nice, but I am in no rush.

I read (before resigning) a very inspiring post by Scott Dinsmore, creator of the website liveyourlegend.net.  The post was titled "The One Thing You Must Do the Moment You Quit or Get Fired (Finding Your Purpose 101)." In his post, he explains the stress and shortsightedness that people experience when they leave a job and how many people freak out and immediately start searching for new employment.  Many of the sentiments he expresses in this article have influenced me or are tenets I already agreed with.  I view my current situation as an amazing experience to truly take a deep breathe, sit back, and reflect on the bigger picture and what I truly want out of life.  This is not a time for me to over-stress myself by immediately searching for a new job.

I became a contracted teacher at age 22, straight out of college.  Teaching was/is what I want to do as a career, but I have such a wide range of interests, passions, goals, and dreams.  I was blessed to receive a job out of college and to gain valuable and meaningful experience, but I had always expressed some regrets to my close friends and family about not having experienced some other things that I felt would make me a better teacher and person.  I have always wanted to teach and live abroad, and I am now taking a step towards that goal by taking a weekend TEFL course in New York City on March 3rd and 4th.  I have also always had an interest in The National Civilian Community Corps and I have almost completed my application for a September (2012) to August (2013) commitment.

Very interesting side note about what lead me to sign up for the TEFL class in New York:  A friend of mine, Andrew, who I went to Peru with last summer recently got his TEFL certification.  I have been thinking about earning a certification because I have always wanted to teach English as a foreign language abroad.  I text-messaged Andrew to ask him about the process he had to go through to get his certification.  He was out on a run with his mom and his phone was at his house.  While he was out running with his mom, they brought up my current situation and they agreed that I should get my TEFL certification.  When he got home, he saw my text.  He called me and told me to come over to talk about everything and he mentioned how it was such a coincidence because he and his mom had just been talking about me being a good candidate for teaching abroad.  Long story short--he showed me the process and his mom and I had a great discussion about teaching abroad, something she did in Peru when she was 26 which lead to her meeting her husband, which ultimately lead to the conception of her son, Andrew.  All of this in some way connects to me having a life changing experience with Andrew in Peru in the first place and to signing up to take a TEFL course myself.  Funny how the universe works.

I have other ideas about the future, but one thing is for sure:  This world has so much to offer and I believe I have so much to offer this world.  I want to get out and experience this world, get to know it more; I now realize there is a window of opportunity to do so now while I am still young.  Ultimately, whatever experiences I endure outside of the classroom will make me more of a multifaceted educator when it comes time for me to re-enter the classroom.  I always felt that the best teachers were the ones who hadn't spent their whole lives in high school and college classrooms.  I was complacent with a stable job but afraid that I would never have the guts to go do other things I dreamed of.  We as a society place too much emphasis on the conventional paths of receiving jobs and climbing ladders to the next steps.  We only get one shot at this life. I am glad that I will now have the opportunity to explore some different paths.

For now, I am going to continue to reflect on what I want for myself and what I have to offer.  I am excited for the next steps.

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." – Albert Einstein