The title of this post comes from the movie, Hugo, which I watched for the first time this week. “If you lose your purpose, it’s like you’re broken.” And if you have lost or never found your purpose, you start to question your value to society. I know of a girl who is 
leaving college with one semester left. Besides having more salient tasks on her agenda, she just didn’t see the purpose in finishing. Sadly this implies that she probably did not have a purpose in starting. As a psychology major, she cannot imagine what she will do with that degree if she stays and finishes. Our mutual friend, a parent herself, is a bit flabbergasted at this move. But this is what society has turned college into; society has turned college into something to do after high school. If she doesn’t value her degree, why would society?
As a wife and mother, clearly my I am valued by my family. But in searching for and not finding employment that would value what I have to offer and my education, it is very discouraging. When I write letters of application and edit my resume, I delete the accomplishments I am proud of in order to only highlight only the work that fits the job available. It’s what we do. We try to fit ourselves into the available slot in return for the quality of life and steady paycheck. We have to deny inherit parts of our identity because not every part is valued by the potential employer (although in my mind, a smart employer would take advantage of such underutilized talents).
I wrote in my book,
Your child has a whole lifetime in front of her to do the activities she enjoys. And if as a parent you do not help your child identify those interests when she is young, they will fade into the past and become forgotten. Someday down the road, when she is bored, she will not know what she likes to do. Someday down the road when she has to find an occupation, she will not know what she is good at. Someday down the road she will wonder what she can do with her life, and she will wonder if she has anything of value to offer. Doubting your own self-worth, I can tell you, is a terrible feeling.
This is why I wrote this book. Children have the advantage of planning their spot in our professional world if they have the partnership of their parents to show them the way. Before they tie themselves to spouses, leases, and car loans, they can explore their options and make informed decisions about how they are going to fund their future. Instead too many end up in commitments and then hold on to a job that devalues their existence to that of a paycheck.
What do you wish for your child’s future?
Click to go to YouTube and view the scene.
Grow Kids 