Your culture counts

There is more than one way to celebrate the diversity of cultures in this world.

One well-established technique is to claim that nothing is true and therefore that no group can claim superiority over any other. Once truth is ejected from our thinking, we are led to believe, somehow we are all going to be magically united: It is just going to be one big, happy, international potluck after another.

This, dare I say, is a dumb idea that has been around now for a very long time.

True, competing truth-claims have contributed to conflict in the past. But there is much more to the typical conflict equation. Consider, sadly, any particular group of Christian people. What will you find? All to often, it will be people who claim to believe much the same things and yet are still occasionally fighting (quarrelling might be a better word) among themselves.

Take away the core convictions people have in common, and what do you suppose might happen? Even more conflict?

Another option, is to hold that each culture should be celebrated because each culture actually matters. Part of the truth is that they do matter. Consider that from this perspective there is going to be a whole lot more authentic cultural-diversity-celebration going on. The music will somehow be more lively. The dancing…more joyful. There will be more heart, more flair. It will be a true festival – a feast.

Everything in any one particular culture will likely not be celebrated. But something in each one will be. The English might turn to the French and say, “What would this world be like without the joy you bring?” The Spanish might give the Germans a great big hug and exclaim, “Your discipline and determination is absolutely wonderful!”

Having a sense of what is good and true and right, each person in each culture could look for it in cultures and communities around them. And affirm what they find.

One problem that affects many people, preventing them from becoming all that they were intended to be, is a deep sense of inferiority – personal and even national inferiority. With this in mind, although a few days ago I expressed a few words of genuine affirmation for American people, today I need to say (please take this the right way) that I am glad I am not an American. I am a Canadian. Canadians are important people too. They have a role to play. Like everybody else. I am happy to be who I am. Are you?

When deeper truths fade they are often replaced with shallow lies. Consider the whole idea that you need to be wealthy or powerful to be important. Where did that come from? Does that really make sense? Take a human being, give him or her a wad of cash, and somehow they are now instantly transformed into a more valuable human being? So that is how it works? Hand some guy a gun and he arrives at a whole new level of human dignity? No. Not at all.

People and cultures and nations who have a measure of wealth and power need to be thankful and careful about how they use what they have. It does give them more immediate opportunity to exert a positive influence. They have more responsibility to be sure. But it doesn’t make them more important as a group of human beings. Not in terms of dignity or core worth, anyway. So as you prosper or struggle with poverty, please keep this thought in mind.

Your culture counts. Your people matter. Your language is important. Your history is significant. Your success deserves to be celebrated.

Whatever you do, don’t get in the habit of putting your culture and people down. Consider, rather, that the nation you are a part of may well have incredible potential.

How to make life more difficult

Let’s face it: Life is far too easy for most people.

Problems are hard to come by – almost impossible to find. Stress is just beyond our grasp. So elusive. Most of you have more friends than you know what to do with, and much more money than you can manage.

Sunshine. Good times. That is likely all you have ever known. But not knowing where to turn, you try to make do the best you can.

Such is life. The trials of this life.

Many have noticed that the entire human story is, more or less, all about living in a state of perpetual bliss. You have noticed too, haven’t you? Happiness and contentment. Peace and joy. Health and prosperity. Harmony and unity. That is what life is mostly all about in this corner of the Milky Way. Isn’t it? It never seems to end, and it is getting old. Life unrolls before us like a red carpet day after day.

Surely, it is time for a change.

At May 09, 2012
By Nathan
In Career & Life Planning, Meeting Needs
0

Setting up my tiny tent on a sandbar on the edge of a large creek in the Rocky Mountains seemed like a good idea at the time.

Sand was soft, and so this site was very attractive. There were very few annoying rocks to deal with. Pounding in the tent pegs was no problem at all. On top of that, the surface was flat. And it would be peaceful to be surrounded by water and quiet too. The noisy campers over there on the hard, rocky, ground wouldn’t keep me awake after all.

Yes, I had finally found the perfect place to get a good night’s rest. Don dug a hole in order to find soft, level, ground for his tent. Surely this campsite idea was an improvement on that. Or so I thought.

Paying attention to your life

A brief thought on a busy day:

Many things in this world will make you feel like your life doesn’t really matter. But it does. You might not be able to see and measure the difference that you make. But you do make a difference. You will make a difference.

So pay attention to your life. Try to make the best use of your life that you possibly can. Invest it wisely. Make it count. To borrow a phrase from a video linked to the previous post, “Give us what you have got!”

With that in mind, can you think of one specific and practical step you have recently taken in order to pursue your God-given potential and become all that you were intended to be? Would you feel comfortable telling people about it here at Career & Life Direction? Why don’t you take a moment to write down what you have recently decided to do and how you think it might fit with your larger life purpose. Send it on in. Here is the magical contact form.

And here are a few bizarre examples to get you thinking:

“Moving to the moon has been a long-term dream of mine. As I write this, I am half way up Mount Everest on my quest to get a little bit closer to my desired destination. The view up here is fantastic!”

“Joining a nudist colony has always been the only thing I really wanted to do with my life. The only problem is that where I live it is way too cold. But I have just decided to completely stop walking and drive absolutely everywhere I go in an attempt to accelerate global warming. Now if only I could figure out what to do about all the mosquitoes.”

“I recently decided to go back to school. And for no reason in particular. More or less just because. You see, I got a new VISA card to add to my collection and needed to find a way to spend the money. Your website has been a true inspiration in my life. Keep up the good work.”

Your comments will, of course, be much more inspirational. Feel free to include your name, city, country, and your brief written contribution to the cause.

And you never know. You just might encourage someone else to take the next significant step in their life.

Living with limits

Do you have a clear view of yourself?

Helen Keller experienced it. Mozart did too. The apostle Paul had to deal with it. And then there was Moses. They all had to live with significant, and even serious, problems and limitations.

They couldn’t hear or see or talk – or at least not very well. They had obvious problems. Limits. It must have been embarrassing and frustrating, difficult and depressing. No, they probably didn’t like it. Not one bit. It must have felt like more than they could manage; it was too much at times. But, they had to learn how to limp along and make do. They had to keep on trying and living just the same. And do you know what? So do you.

But be encouraged. Most everyone has to face something painful and difficult – that just will not go away. If it isn’t in the past it will be in the future. Weakness has a way of making itself known. And it isn’t just you. No, you are not alone. The “beautiful” people have issues to. The healthy aren’t whole in every way. Your friend or co-worker who appears to be popular and successful is limited somehow. Count on it. Learn to look beyond the surface. Nobody has it all together, or at least not for long. Everyone is messed-up and mixed-up and lacking to some extent. When Mr. Wonderful gets home and is all alone…the cracks begin to show.

Personality and problems galore

Your personality will make a big difference in terms of how you view life. Attitude is also important, to be sure. Early childhood influences count. Family relationships matter. Friends can shape your thinking. Lots of things can make a difference in your perspective. If, however, you find yourself naturally focusing on what is wrong with the world (and there is a lot to focus on) rather than on what is right with it…realize that this could be, in part, because of your personality.

Sanguines are often so focused on enjoying people that they hardly notice problems. Cholerics are just too busy running things and making stuff happen to care. Phlegmatics notice, but because of their easy-going nature problems are no big deal. Hakuna matata! But, some melancholics reading this and notice and notice – everything that is wrong everywhere – and your thinking is clouded by anxiety. Stress is your constant companion. Worry is your middle name. And something is going to snap someday.

Relationships and the Trinity

If you happen to be looking for advice specifically about relationships, it wouldn’t hurt to begin by reflecting on the Trinity. That would be the three-in-one and one-in-three word used to describe God by most Christian people who speak English.

This suggestion, by the way, is nothing new and not at all original with me. Look into it, and you will find a small army of academics talking about it constantly. And it makes sense to reflect on such things; that is, if you have come to the realization that God is best described as a trinity. For here you will find an example of an ideal relationship.

Notice, that I didn’t say you should try to completely understand it. Even thinking about a little piece of this world, or part of reality, for too long will blow your mind. Don’t believe me? Give it a try. Very little that appears to be simple and self-evident actually is.

Getting advice while growing up

Thomas didn’t understand what was going on. Resistance, a feeling of resistance, was growing deep inside. But resistance to what? He didn’t know. Couldn’t seem to put his finger on it. It was almost as if a wall was being built around his identity; perhaps a boundary was being defined. Whatever it was, something had changed. As a teenager and now even more as a young adult there had been a shift in his thinking, in his feeling. Was this the beginning of a bad attitude or just part of growing up? He wasn’t sure.

Ellen felt the same way. She found herself pulling back as of late. Like a spring that was being compressed she was was getting ready. But ready for what? It was hard to say. One thing was clear though: her thoughts, her feelings, her preferences, her interests, here opinions, and her convictions were beginning to take shape. What had been presented or imposed from the outside, by others, was meeting with resistance on the inside now. Restless, she felt so restless and just wanted to get away. She needed some space to come alive, some room to breath. Why did she feel this way? Was this normal?

Getting what you need to grow

One interesting, encouraging, and humbling thing to do on a daily basis is to ask God for the wisdom you need to navigate your way through life. You can ask for wisdom about your career and life direction. You can ask for wisdom about anything at all. If you are interested in a reference point for this advice, try the book of Proverbs or the book of James. And If you are sceptical about this opening suggestion, give it a try; you might be surprised what happens.

“It is a great big stupid world,” as Randy Stonehill used to sing. Not a flattering thought to be sure, but all too true nonetheless. With so many advances in human understanding many people are tempted to meditate on how smart and intelligent and brilliant and wonderful and self-sufficient we all are. But we are not. Not really. Here in Saskatchewan, there is enough uranium to keep the lights on around the world for years to come. But, knowing humanity, we are probably going to use it – some day – just to blow ourselves up. Even the best and the brightest among us is a complete fool compared to God. We need help. Sorry to be so blunt.

John Holland’s hexagon

Draw a picture of a hexagon in front of a group of career counsellors, and someone is sure to mention John Holland.

You will soon hear about a famous sociology professor at John Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland, USA) whether you want to or not. You can count on it. Someone will eventually blurt out something about Holland’s Occupational Themes – whatever they are. You will become aware of 14 different RIASEC tests you could take in no time flat. I wonder if anyone has ever been so closely identified with a specific shape?

The small island nation of Bermuda may rightfully lay claim to the triangle, but one solitary individual in the whole wide world has the hexagon; that would be John Holland.

John and his trusty hexagon have been around for over half a century. And while John Holland is now gone, his hexagon remains. I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong impression: I am thankful for John Holland and even for his hexagon. For his occupational interest tool – and illustration method – has helped many career-confused souls gain a greater sense of self-understanding.

Knowing who you really are makes it that much easier to make major career and life decisions with confidence. But if you can’t identify core areas of interest it becomes very difficult to know where to begin.

So picture a pristine hexagon in your mind, with one of the following letters, RIASEC, parked proudly at each particular point. Traditionally, the “R” is placed on the top and to the left, with the rest of the faithful letters following in a clockwise direction. Got it? Then, in order to avoid the build up of too much suspense, quickly fill in the following information beside each letter:

Realistic: This is the “‘Git’er’ done” group
Investigative: And here we have the “Reflect & dissect” group
Artistic: Followed by the “Creative/artsy” types
Social: And the “I-just-love-hanging-out-with-you-guys!” crowd
Enterprising: Not to forget the “Make-it-happen-management-type-people”
Conventional: And finally, the “Faithful-background-organizers”

You should be aware that you are dealing with my interpretation of John Holland’s theory. But although we are just scratching the proverbial surface here, I think I am getting pretty close to what he was trying to communicate.

So what is all the fuss about? John’s theory suggests that each person reading this fits into some of these categories better than others. Apparently, most people usually find that they fit in three out of the six categories. In other words, three of these letters probably won’t describe you.

Let’s say that you just read this description and instantly gravitated to the artistic group; point number three on the hexagon. And let’s also say that you are actually a hard-core Artistic-type person, very creative indeed, who has just signed up to spend the next four years studying to be a Conventional accountant. Oh, no. John Holland’s theory would suggest that you might as well sign up for a four-year prison term, and that whoever you end up working for may wish that you had.

Okay, so I may be overstating things just a little bit, but you get the idea. Does it make sense to try to ram your artistic self into a conventional-shaped role? No. If you really enjoy working outside with your hands, accomplishing important and meaningful tasks, would it be a good idea to train for a career that involves sitting at a desk all day? Hardly. And if you are as sanguine and social as the day is long, would you really want to commit to a career that involves working alone most of the time? Unthinkable. That would be crazy. If you haven’t been the life of one single party as long as you have been alive, why would you ever commit to a highly relational career? Why?

Sure, you may need to tough it out and do what you have to do sometimes. Many people, particularly in poor countries, don’t have much of a choice when it comes to what they do for a living. But if you can choose, be sure to choose wisely and choose well.

In case you are wondering, I have taken one of the 14 RIASEC tests mentioned above and came out as an IAC. And what am I doing right now? I am focused on typical IAC type work while developing and managing this website. If I was more of an enterprising individual, this website would likely be much farther along than it is right now. But that is alright, because I like to analyze; I like to create; I like routine. I enjoy writing and working at a computer day after day.

How about you? Where do you see yourself? Where do you fit? Click here to find out more about your occupational profile and John Holland’s hexagon.

Bears and boundaries

Caring for creation

Being a bear wouldn’t be such a bad gig. Working in the Rocky Mountains, I bumped into a number of a bears over the years, a few grizzlies but mostly black bears. Quite a life. One adolescent black bear we named “Elvis” used to just sit, or occasionally wander around, by the edge of the treeline while our tree planting crew was hard at work. Day after day we would come to work, on a large cut-block (an area that had been logged) in British Columbia, and day after day Elvis would come and watch us work. Fill up on berries when it is warm, hang-out in the forest, watch the people, hibernate when it gets cold…not bad. Not bad at all.