If you walked into my office right now, what would you see? You’d see piles upon piles of articles and books on ordinary youth doing extraordinary things. I have newspaper clippings and internet printouts tacked onto bulletin boards. On my whiteboard, I have an ever-changing list of kids and teens I want to interview. This sits next to a bookshelf full of nonfiction and fiction books—and even memoirs—written by people who still have to get up and go to school in the morning.
This collection of youth success stories started in 2012 when I was asked to write a book called So, You Want to Work in Fashion? for teens who were interested in fashion design. Part of my job was to interview young adults already working in the industry. Next came a book in the same series about leadership, where I found an equal number of successful young adults. They were even more impressive during their interviews than they were on paper.
The question that kept coming back to me was, How are these ordinary teens doing such extraordinary things? Do they have access to better education? More supportive parents? Are they geniuses? Trust fund babies? Or related to celebrities?
I decided I wanted answers to these questions. In the process, I got to talk to some of the most inspirational, interesting, and unique people I’ve ever encountered. What I found to be the common thread among these super-amazing young adults was that their foundation of success was built with a strong sense of self-identity, determination, and grit. This book is my opportunity to share my research and teach others how they can incorporate these skills into their daily lives. I hope it inspires you to ignite your own spark!
Throughout the book you’ll see these two symbols:
The spark igniters (rocket) are the ways you can light a spark within you. The spark extinguishers (fire extinguisher) mark ways of thinking that stamp out potential sparks within us. Keep an eye out for ways you can integrate igniters into your life, and be aware of when these extinguishers creep into your thoughts. How can you turn an extinguisher into an igniter?