I have just left my current teaching position for another in a different school. Six months ago, I was determined to do something outside of the field of education, but I’ve been drawn back in by the challenge of starting up a new school. Over the years, I’ve had people thank me for “sacrificing my life” to be a teacher, and I’ve even had people suggest that I teach because I can’t “do” – an insult any way you look at it. One of my personal myths that I cannot prove, but still believe, is that I was born to be a teacher.

A close friend gave me a copy of the NPR collection This I Believe and I turned it into an assignment for my students – What do you believe? These are my thoughts about how to figure out what to do with your life:

I believe the goal of your career isn’t money, fame, or power, but that could happen. Money, fame, and power are byproducts, like sludge or vapor – the far more worthy goal is to spend your time doing worthwhile work that improves your life and the lives of others.

I believe that often those who are obsessed with gaining power can trace their obsession to feeling like a loser at some time in their lives. That’s why many of our heroes were reluctant leaders.

I believe that part of our life’s work to is locate our center – nostos – our authentic self. It doesn’t mean we are always at our best, but at least we have a clear vision of what that looks like. We choose work that utilizes “what is within us” and we choose our closest companions from those who bring out our higher selves.

More on this later.