This will be my final blog on the Callings book by Gregg Levoy. Next month I will publish my last blog of my career. That will be my 233rd and final blog. I will be retiring at the end of the school year and will try to gather my thoughts for the final blog. This month's quote from the book states; "It's not poisonous to do without something we really want, what is poisonous is to pretend that the second-rate is first rate, to pretend that you like your work when you know you're capable of better, to pretend you love what you don't, or don't love what you do." Wow, that is a lot to digest in that single paragraph. Please re-read that over again and slowly.
As you seniors begin to head out into the "real world", I hope that all of you will think about what that paragraph is saying. There are going to be times in your life where you feel that you are stuck in your career, a relationship, or where you might be heading in life. You will ask yourself if you have made the right choices, is there something better out there. I want you to know that you don't have to settle for second-rate. You don't have to remain in a situation that doesn't make you happy. I have stated this over and over, that if you go into a job just for the money and don't love what you are doing, you are settling for second best. If you end up in a relationship and are not being treated as a "king" or "queen", then you are settling for second best.
I hope that each and everyone of you realize that you have gained so many skills here at Vantage. You are far ahead of so many of your friends. Just try to realize where your skills were when you started at Vantage compared to where you are today. I stopped by the Auto Collision shop yesterday and saw a couple of beautiful paint jobs. One on a hood of a vehicle and the other was a snowmobile. I asked Mr. Edwards if these students, who were seniors, ever painted before they came to Vantage and he stated "no, not at all". I see this happening in every program I visit. You seniors are top notch and are ready to go out and show off the skills you learned while you were here. You have a solid base to build on and you can grow so much more. Don't ever settle for less than your best. Find a job that you absolutely love and that you can earn a living at, and then make the most of it. Always keep working at your skills. Never get comfortable with the level of learning you are at. When I first started my counseling internship and read the Callings book, I came upon this quote that I revised a bit for my circumstance. The quote was, "If I were to quit my job and become a full time counselor, what kinds of things do you think I'd need to do to become the best counselor I could become?" The answer is "never get comfortable with it. Keep reinventing it".
To all the seniors, you soon will launch off into a career or college that we have prepared you for. Go at it with all the gusto you have. Make each day special and better than the last. Believe in yourself but stay modest. Work hard each and every day and be grateful for the people in your life. Never ever settle for second-rate, you are better than that.
