Discovering your place purpose and role in life:

As  the head of an educational institution  I meet many young men and women who want to talk with me about choosing subjects that they might like to study as they prepare themselves for life. We discuss their passions and gifts as a way of understanding what they enjoy and how they might be ‘wired up’. People often tell me , that they dont know what they want to do with their lives.  A Classic Alice in wonderland moment is when Alice asks the Cheshire cat for directions. The Cat enquires where she would like to go and her response was she did not know and the cat  tells her  it does not really matter which way she choses.  In like vein I am tempted to say, in which case it does not matter what you study.

Finding purpose, meaning and direction for ones life is a real challenge particularly if one has led a relatively sheltered existence and one does not know what the options are out there. The truth is that you dont know what you dont know! Therefore you dont even know what the questions are, let alone the answers!

My advice is please dont rush into higher educational pathways and go to university. It may not be appropriate for you.  Education is  a very expensive investment in  terms of time, energy and financial outlay. Spending thirty to fifty thousand pounds sterling for a course of study for three to five years  which you dont enjoy does not prepare you for life . It can leave you in serious financial debt.  I have discovered that happy people in general are those who enjoy life because they do what they enjoy or what they do adds value and brings enjoyment to others.  My suggestions is to develop your passions, interests, gifts and natural abilities and there is a good chance that you will build and develop in the areas that you are good at. Play to your strengths but be aware of your limitations. It’s an incredible feeling when you are paid to do the things you enjoy and love to do.  In todays world there are so many avenues to discover and explore . The world has become a smaller place through technology, communications and opportunities to travel so do not restrict yourself to narrow tram lines. New Vistas beckon.

Expand your horizons:

Travel is a great way to learn and grow: Go some where that takes you out of your comfort zone, it will force you to develop new skills and awareness. Take it seriously because it is possible to travel to new places and be none the wiser because of our predictable lifestyle and behaviour. We do the same things where ever we are. We eat the same food, go to  the same shops get seduced by the same brands that can be found anywhere in our globalised economy. Expect to see and experience new things. Here are some tips from one who has travelled extensively and has gained a world class education in the university of life.

• Develop a curiosity that is not intrusive or disrespectful but seek to learn what is important to the local people and find out why.
• Show courtesy and care in the way you dress and behave in public. Be sensitive to people and to their feelings.
• Read as much as you can about the places you will visit, remember difference is never about better or worse, it is simply different! Try and learn from the differences and appreciate why the differences might make sense for the local people who live in a given time or place. Could it be helpful to learn something about  this difference and could it be helpful to you when you return to your own context?
• Learn local etiquette and customs and show that you are interested and that you respect local social customs and conventions.
• Show an interest in their language, food, clothing, art, music, dance and craft.
• Be open to new experiences and be prepared to do things you would not normally do but  be sensible.
• Hang out with people who have been there before and know people in places that you plan to visit.
• Do not  always go the way of the tourist, but notice the places where the locals go to shop and eat.
• Go with the positive attitude that you are going to have fun and that you are going to learn.
• Maintain a journal or write a diary of the places, people, events and experiences you have had.
• Take photographs ask permission if necessary and  treat people with due care and respect.
• Do not go to  very lonely and isolated places or hang out with people where you feel uncomfortable and sense danger. Always have a back up plan, find ways of communicating and keeping in touch with local contacts that are trustworthy.
• Be prepared to receive hospitality from the locals and graciously value their generosity but never take it for granted or take advantage of it. Learn to accept and reciprocate.

Develop a genuine desire to learn, to know and to grow by:

• Going to events, concerts, talks, exhibitions and places of local interest in the place where you live and work.  I have found that it is when friends come to  visit me they have read about my city and ask me about  local features and places of interest that they have noticed.  I discover great spots of beauty and of historical interest  by trying to answer their questions or taking  them to local places of interest which I have never been to.
• Look for opportunities to shadow people who are experienced, skilful and do something that you might be interested in for e.g. a doctor, a lawyer, musician, teacher, craftsman, a gardner an accountant that may be known to the family through their social, business and professional networks.  If given the opportunity remember not to be intrusive, disruptive but discuss expectations, draw up some goals and be clear about boundaries what you can and cannot do, be respectful and helpful.
• A short internship for a week or a month will give you an opportunity to be exposed to a field which might open up new vistas of learning and growth. When I was a teenager I would set a week of my summer holidays to do some thing like this. At least you can rule things out if you dont enjoy it.
• A gap year after school or university is a time and space to do something different a time for thinking, prayer, travel developing a new skill or learning something about oneself.
• Research, read, surf the world wide web and discover the endless possibilities that are there when you venture away from the well beaten paths of traditional employment.
• Explore your hobbies maybe they can offer opportunities for gaining a good livelihood in life.

Education today is a huge multi billion pound global business:  My concern has been that we are being driven by the  financial agenda of  making profits in the name of truth and excellence. Having worked in the university sector for close to twenty years I have noticed a decline in the educational content, standards and expectations we have in terms of curriculum and the recruitment of students.

A vision for an Education for life: The link between industry and the university is welcome at one level because it encourages relevance by being  responsive to the market and in return industry invests its considerable resources in to educational centres for excellence. On the other hand there is the danger of dancing to the tune of  of  the benefactor  and  merely becoming a barometer that registers the temperature of the market that can be both fickle and spasmodic, in terms of sentiment and perceptions.

Education for me  is the art of making connections between knowledge, experience, skills, academic disciplines, faith and the realities of our existence. Education helps us to engage with the realities of life,  learning to navigate our contemporary dilemmas and managing the complexity of globalisation. It should be the inspiration which enables us to give up our small parochial ambitions and helps us to face the unknown with the tools, resources and instincts to both  survive and flourish where ever we are placed. Ultimately education is about the formation of character which for me is two words “unsupervised integrity.” In todays world we all need emotional and spiritual resilience, humility, fortitude, courage, faithfulness and love.