Career Girls

Packing – I hate it! But who likes it, really? Yet, I’m feeling pretty geeked about my next trip to Africa. I’ve had a long and rewarding career as an engineer and scientist, and now I am embarking on a new journey.

For the last 4 years I have been traveling to Africa, working with NGOs focused on issues of Human Rights and Community Development. To say that I love this work is putting it mildly. To be quite honest, it wasn’t obvious to me in 2010 upon my first trip, that this journey to explore my calling and passion was really a call to build my character. I’ve learned that degrees and other accomplishments are tools to achieve greater goals but they are not the goal itself. I always wanted to be a scientist…not because of a few letters behind my name or name recognition, but because of what I could do … hoping that I could make a difference.

You see, my plan at age 9 was to change the world - I wanted to find the cure to cancer, eradicate poverty, and provide a shelter for every homeless person who needed one. A definitely tall dream for a 9-year old, but isn’t that where all seeds begin? In a very real sense this is where my personal development began and where my character was formed.

So what is character really? In it's most simplest form, it’s the lens through which we participate in life, and is a good indicator of how we will handle life’s successes and failures. Good character traits (e.g., trustworthiness and loyalty) insure that we attract and participate in the best that life can offer. Furthermore, good character traits (e.g, patience, longsuffering) help us through challenging times, by keeping our proper perspective and often reducing the amount of time we need to recover from life’s tragedies.

Abraham Lincoln says that “Character is like a tree and reputation is like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” So on my journey to building character, here are the things that contributed the most to my personal development

1. Make a list. Write down your favorite role models and the traits you admire. My favorite role models are the people that I live and work with every day. For example, my sister has always been my champion and has been my greatest teacher in the merits of working hard, trustworthiness and loyalty.

2. Take inventory. What are your gifts and talents, strengths as well as weaknesses? Together they indicate unique possibilities for your life journey. I am quite analytical – I love to dissect and take apart things. However, I also love interacting with people and capturing the inspiration that those interactions can bring. I have learned how to use both aspects of my personality to forge relationships in both professional and social occasions.

3. Make a plan. Each endeavor that is important to you requires an action plan. Make a plan and stick to it. However remember to be flexible. I started my studies almost 3 years ago. I didn’t realize that it would take a year longer than originally planned but I clearly see the fruits of my labor.

4. Try new things. Don’t be afraid to try new things - failure is a good thing. Failure brings clarity and helps guide our aspirations and dreams. A favorite quote from a dear friend by George Bernard Shaw says "A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing"

5. Stay the course. It’s great to have others to support us on our journey but there maybe times when you have to go it alone. Find ways to stay motivated and don’t give up. Share your plan with someone who can help you to be accountable and will encourage as you meet each of your milestones.

The best investment you will ever make is in you. Invest in those activities that push you past your comfort zone, they just may lead you on your best life journey yet! Just look at me! Now if I could channel that discipline into packing… Oh, well…