Do Not Ask What the World Needs

Do you recall a time in your childhood when you were not afraid to ask the so called stupid questions?

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ― Howard Thurman

Do you recall a time in your childhood when you were not afraid to ask questions? When you had an inner compass that guided you to the next adventure with confidence? When your curiosity was larger than this world? When the possibilities were endless?

As we grow older, we start to reduce the volume of our intuition – the uniquely tailored mission that we were supposed to fulfill in our lifetime. We do that in order for us to tune in better with the external voices that tell us how to behave, what questions not to ask, and most importantly – what success looks like.

Those voices can come in different forms. One very obvious one that each and every one of us has been influenced by is the one-size-fits-all schooling system. As students, we are constantly being taught that there is only one right answer, and we are motivated by the rigid grading system. Most importantly, we are taught from a very young age to let go of our innate nature that allows us to explore different passions.

We start coloring inside the lines. The infinite possibilities of what we can be when we grow up gradually subside into two or three career paths that guarantee us continuing success up the ladder. We start muting our internal compass that navigates us to what sparks our soul, and instead, we look outside for guidance. This can seem like copying other people whom we deem successful and follow their exact steps to achieve the same result. We start operating and basing all our decisions out of fear rather than inquisitiveness. Fear from looking like the odd one out. Fear from what society will think if we pursue a different path. Fear from not following the herd.

Ironically enough, if we ask people what they seek in a job, meaningful work emerges on top of the list. Yet all too often, we do not put effort into exploring our missions, our ‘whys’ – the kind of productivity that fulfills us at the end of each day. And that mainly stems back to the loss of our inner-compass in childhood.

What is meaningful work? It will definitely look different for each one and everyone, as we were brought into this world to fulfill a unique mission. One might find meaning in creating beautiful art, another might find meaning in coding, while someone else might discover fulfilling meaning in raising their children. Not a single path can take importance from the other.

If we take a look at kids today, their days are pre-scheduled; filled with rehearsals, recitals, and sports that they do not even care about. We are passing on to them the notion that they need to work for a reward rather than a meaningful impact. What is at stake is a trophy or a medal, rather than contributing something valuable to their communities.

What If

• Parents told their children: Instead of rehearsing for extracurricular activities, take a look around the neighborhood and discover a problem, and brainstorm ways to solve it together
• Managers told their teams: Each member has the opportunity to lead a passion project on their own, and all ideas are welcomed.
• Teachers told their students: You will not only be graded on the end score of your test, but the effort you put into learning will also contribute to your grade.

Not everyone acknowledges the importance of engaging in meaningful work. Still, if we all take a step back to reassess our lack of motivation, discipline, and productivity, it will most definitely circle back to the lack of engaging in work that sparks our soul. The type of work that we understand the mission behind because when times get tough, the purpose – the ‘why’ – will always help us get back on track.