Chapter 6

A Look Toward The Future

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself

Any direction you choose.

—Dr. Seuss

THEODORE Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss, had a way with both words and ideas. Using simple rhyming lines, he managed to address some of life’s most complicated issues using uncomplicated language. And along the way, he made us both laugh and think.

In the book quoted above, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, Dr. Seuss wants his readers to know that life can take you in many directions—and that many of them are good. It’s the same with lots of gifted teens we know: They are smart enough to become just about anything they choose for a career, yet they are overwhelmed (or, at least a bit confused) by the wide array of interesting possibilities from which to select. So, if you love both the arts and the sciences, do you become a doctor or a dancer? If economics has always been of keen interest, but video game design seems equally as engaging, which do you choose? And why? And how do you decide? If these scenarios sound familiar to you—join the club. Selecting a career path when so many are available and appealing to you is a condition so common among gifted teens that it’s even been given a name: multipotential. As you read sections of this chapter, you’ll find lots of company in your quest for that perfect job.

Something else you’ll read here is whether or not gifted teens are hopeful for the future—their own and our planet’s. In a world that seems beset with problem after problem, pain after pain, do our world’s most intelligent teens feel more optimistic or pessimistic about what lies ahead? Read on, read on . . .

One certainty about your future is that there are no guarantees. Life is funny that way: its most important choices often have no clear-cut paths to success. Too, when an opportunity or challenge comes your way, you might wonder if it’s worth your effort to push ahead. In reading this chapter, both the student comments and the Your Turn activities, we hope that you get a bit more clarity about what your future might have in store for you—and what you might do to direct your own course. Just remember: “You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”

What would you like to learn
about that you haven’t yet?

Cloud computing and the intellectual property rights issues that are bound to come from open sharing of data and development of programming.

—Girl, 13, Alaska

I often wonder whether being immortal would solve the problem of having to choose a life specialization, but it is a useless wish. Instead, I’m going to learn as much as I can about everything from multiverse and string theory to animal and plant form and function. Also, prosthetics is amazing and a topic of interest, especially the mechanical and electrical engineering aspects of it. Biophysics, oceanography, and pi are also high on my list. There is simply not enough time!

—Boy, 13, New York

Right now I’m working on novels written in verse.

—Girl, 13, Ontario

I want to learn French. I haven’t had time to take French because I’m in band in middle school, and we only get one elective.

—Girl, 14, Texas

Technology so I can program and invent, not just use it. I want to know how and why technology works, not just that it will make my life easier. As far as I can tell, technology makes life more complicated, complex, and confusing—not easier.

—Boy, 14, Alabama

I would like to learn more about the past, not necessarily U.S. history. We just read a book called The Devil’s Arithmetic, which was about the Holocaust. I’d really like to learn more.

—Boy, 14, Michigan

How the subjects we take in school actually mix together in life. I’m tired of being told I’ll need such and such in the future. I want to know how such and such impacts my life now, not some time down the road.

—Girl, 14, South Dakota

I am interested in the political and religious systems of other countries. Of course, we never talk about these in school.

—Boy, 15, Indiana

I want to learn about pitching in baseball. It’s all physics, trajectory, and velocity, so I ought to be able to figure out how to do it well.

—Boy, 15, Virginia

Law, because it leaves me in awe. Even though some people can’t imagine a 4' 10" girl being an attorney, I can!

—Girl, 16, Indiana

I’d like to learn how to study in different ways. I am starting to have some trouble in organic chemistry and don’t know what else I can do to learn better. Memorizing just isn’t working for me anymore.

—Boy, 16,
New York

YOUR TURN

If you could choose any person, living or dead, which historical, literary, musical, athletic, or other individual would you like to share a dinner with? Why? What would you talk about? What would you hope to learn from this person?

I am absolutely fascinated with autoimmune diseases. Particularly, I would like to find out why Raynaud’s phenomenon happens and find an effective way to treat it.

—Girl, 16, Pennsylvania

I’d like to learn how to be more accepted and fun in public places. I know I am smart but feel really dumb when it comes to socializing.

—Boy, 16, Virginia

I want to learn about outer space and the deepest depths of the ocean.

—Boy, 17, Tennessee

About the real lives of inventors. How they got someone to actually buy their invention and how to market ideas. I’m just clueless about this process, and I can’t find info online.

—Girl, 17, New Jersey

I want to have hands-on experiences in hospital emergency rooms. Not just a biology course, but the real thing.

—Boy, 17, Oklahoma

Eastern religions and philosophies, as well as advanced physics, are of most interest to me. It’s not usually lack of time, but lack of people in those areas to talk to or learn from.

—Boy, 17, Nebraska

How to make an informed decision would be near the top of my list. I just roll with a decision and often end up in a pickle. Better decision making in the beginning sure would save a lot of time and aggravation.

—Girl, 18, California

How to be decisive and more sure of myself. I can often see how many possible solutions could be right depending on the situation. This causes me to seem confused or disorganized to others. It’s no fun weighing all the options in a microsecond and not being able to pick a course of action.

—Boy, 18, Texas

THE “P” WORD

Potential.

This is a word gifted teens hear a lot. We even used it a few times in previous chapters. (We told you it would be a recurring theme!)

For many, hearing what others think about their potential can leave them feeling a little nervous. If you are working to it, what can you expect in the future? If you aren’t working to it, people quickly challenge your giftedness or point out that they are wondering if you are destined for laziness and a less-than-successful life.

If that sounds like you, take a look at what one former gifted teen—now a gifted adult—has to say about the pressure of potential. KaSandra, age 19, has been through the same thing.

I was often told that I could do or be anything I wanted because I was so smart. But I had a hard time figuring out what this really meant. It ended up meaning to me that if I didn’t get all A’s, act sweet and agreeable all the time, and have loads of friends, I was letting my family down. It took quite a while for me to overcome the stigma of potential in my life.

But KaSandra did get over the worries that came from potential and expectations and learned to make decisions for herself. “You cannot let other people’s expectations decide for you what you should do,” she says. “You need to use your emotions along with your intellect to help guide you toward a career destination.”

YOUR TURN

Does having potential leave you feeling a little nervous? What does this term mean to you? How do (or would) you define potential? Why do you think other people focus on it? How does this externally imposed focus impact your life?

 

What are your future plans?

To achieve. To know. To learn. To grow upwards. To explore the full range of my abilities. To write. To express. To discover. To impart. To teach. To communicate.

—Girl, 13, England

I want to become a Federal Air Marshal and then earn my pilot’s license.

—Boy, 13, Ohio

I am going to become a grade school teacher, because I love to help little kids. I want to teach them basic stuff about school and life. I’ll be a teacher my whole life until I retire when I am really old.

—Girl, 13, Texas

Right now, I want to be a bone doctor or a journalist. It’s funny that there is hardly any relation between the two, yet I still want to be both.

—Boy, 14, Maryland

Well, I’m just going with the flow right now, so I’ll figure it out in high school. I like doing makeup and hair, I like writing mysteries, and I love to cook. So . . . we’ll see!
—Girl, 14, Tennessee

I’m working toward a career in the NBA. After that, I’ll be a sports analyst on ESPN and have a side job as a chemist.

—Boy, 14, South Carolina

I have plans to be a physical therapist or teacher, and one of my nonacademic goals is to go parasailing before I am 21.

—Girl, 14, Louisiana

My future plans are to finish college and get a good job. I don’t want to get pregnant until I am ready for a crying baby.

—Girl, 14, Texas

I want to be a paperback writer. Maybe I’ll write a book you’ll want to read!
—Boy, 14, Connecticut

I’m not sure what I want to major in yet, perhaps law or engineering or aerospace technology. Or perhaps elementary education. After that I will live alone until I feel I have my life completely started. Then, I’ll settle down and be an active part of a small community.

—Girl, 15, Iowa

YOUR TURN

It is estimated that workers of your generation will change careers at least five times during their lives. If this is true, what five (or more) careers do you think you might have in your lifetime? What training or preparation would you need to have for each of these careers?

When I get to college, I want to study aeronautical engineering. During some point in my life, I want to be a professional tennis player. That’s about it for right now, but I’m sure I’ll add a lot more plans in the future.

—Boy, 15, Arizona

Since I am very interested in eyes, I would like to study to be an optometrist. Who knows, though? Maybe my mind will change in a few years, so my backup plan right now is to become a lawyer.

—Girl, 15, Colorado

Professional snowboarder, where I can shred the mountain all day and then spend my off time shooting commercials and traveling. This way I get to see the world and will have a nice bank roll tucked away for when I’m old in my 30s.

—Boy, 15, Oregon

I want to get married during college, and then study to become a high school English teacher and later a school administrator before I retire.

—Girl, 15, Indiana

I really have no idea what to become. Every time I consider a career, it is always shattered by the reality of the job and how much school the profession entails.

—Boy, 16, Wisconsin

First off, I am not going to grow up. I may get older and wiser, but responsibility will be something I pay other people to have for me. I will move from career to career and be a smashing success at anything I do. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for the great intelligence you passed on to me. And, for the support you share when I have a crazy idea and you tell me to “go for it.”

—Girl, 16, Rhode Island

I plan on making my money early in life. Then, I’ll enjoy myself and have fun. I plan on avoiding as much of life’s grief and sorrow as I can by being independently wealthy and wise.

—Boy, 16, Nebraska

Since my family doesn’t have much money, I will not be able to go to a college that is not near home. I have set my standards and goals extremely low, I’m afraid.

—Girl, 16, Texas

I plan on taking life as it comes at me. Trying to plan too much just sets you up for failure and high anxiety. I’m not into the whole rat race thing.

—Boy, 17, Nevada

After years of working as a psychiatrist, doctor, lawyer, or engineer, I want to be able to retire and enjoy my grandchildren and spoil them while traveling a whole lot with my loyal husband.

—Girl, 17, Virginia

I’d like to go to a really good school in hopes that there will be other gifted people like me there. If I don’t go to college, I may work in construction or perhaps take up a craft or trade. I’m really not sure. If all else fails, I would like to be a street poet in San Francisco.

—Boy, 17, Kansas

It worries me that I don’t have a clear plan in sight. I hope to start college, but have no idea what to major in. There are so many careers that intrigue me, but you have to pick early, and how do you know what your life work is supposed to be when you are 17?

—Girl, 17, West Virginia

Many gifted teens possess “multipotential,” which we described earlier as the ability and interest to perform a number of careers with equal (high) success. You might have picked up on this ability through the future plans shared in the previous section.

Although multipotential can be seen as an asset, it can also be a burden. It is hard to know exactly what it is you’d like to spend your life doing. This is especially the case when you can see yourself doing disparate, but interesting things, based on your many passions.

Many gifted people not only have complex minds, but complex and intense emotions, as well. It’s not that they are clairvoyant or possess magical powers, but they are able to see beneath the surface of what people are saying or how they are acting to get to the core of their beings. Richard Schild is one of these young men. As you’ll read, Richard’s mind is always racing forward with new thoughts about his current passion—engineering—but his heart is keeping pace with his mind. It is this convergence of intellect and emotion that makes Richard—and many gifted teens—the complex, intimate characters that they are.

YOUR TURN

If you are afflicted with multipotential, is it more of an asset or a burden for you? Why? What steps can you take now to explore several career options to help you make a more informed decision about which career(s) to work toward?

Richard Schild

Focused on Passing the Present

I’m Richard Schild, a mechanical engineering student from Karlsruhe, Germany.

I started taking computer science courses at university while still a gymnasium [high school] student. I was at least 6 years younger than the other university students. But, I performed well—even though my gymnasium teachers tried to hinder me from attending university classes. They would have liked it if I had participated in competitions as a gymnasium student because it is easier to deal with pupils doing things you “already know” rather than dealing with pupils going other ways.

I felt cheated by this and looked for other educational options. I applied for and received a scholarship to a Jesuit Boarding School—even though attendance meant I needed to skip grade 10 (the scholarship was for 11th grade, but I applied and received it as a ninth grader and had to grade skip to take it—my second time grade skipping—to be able to attend).

It was at this time (I was 15 years old) that I discovered I had an ability to “read” people rather precisely by observing their actions and making a little conversation (about 2 minutes or so) with them. I did this intuitively, by paying attention to the way they behaved, answered questions, and by what they did not say. I never “trained” to observe people, and it does not work with people I’m emotionally interested in (like my girlfriend). But, I am typically very accurate with my judgments.

This ability does cause some concerns for me. With peers, the things I usually discover are their problems—especially if they are trying to hide them from others.

Because I have a strong feeling of “duty to look after others,” my intuitions often lead to uncomfortable discussions. If you get that someone has a special problem, and you know roughly what kind of problem you are encountering, then it’s usually easiest just to ask the other person and have a conversation about it. Sometimes these conversations are very emotional. So, I try to limit this dimension about myself to try to stay happy.

On a positive note, this intensity made me more compassionate. I did volunteer work in Belgium with patients having disabilities and mental illness. It became much easier for me just to let people do the things they do without judging how strange these things are after having insights into other people’s disabling conditions and behaviors. I learned to be much more tolerant and nonjudgmental. This was important because it helped define my character.

I know there are other people that share this intensity to read others. I wonder how they see it—as a chance, a duty, or a bad thing, and whether they ever want to get rid of it? For me, the emotional side of it causes a lot of personal concern and conflict.

Currently, I am pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering and hope to turn this into a dual diploma program with study abroad in France. In Germany, mechanical engineering is a classical job. But, engineers work everywhere, not only where you’d expect.

I was accepted for a law degree program but found that without some logic, mathematics, or an equivalent, my mind was getting soft—like an athlete not doing sports or a musician not playing his instrument or listening to music.

In the end, I want to do something that helps people. Not necessarily like UNICEF, but maybe protecting them in a better way, reducing the amount of energy they need, or something like that. I think science cannot solve all problems—but it can solve many!

As for computer science, which was an early passion, the more I learned, the more I realized that there are “race conditions”—unforeseen errors just there, but possible to reconstruct without immense work—that spoil the fun. And, it’s not that easy to be creative because it is not the way I like to think. I enjoy focusing on moral and ethical issues, which are too complex to be adequately pursued with computer science at present.

The other problem is that the technology changes so fast most of your energy is spent trying to stay caught up and specializing to survive. I realized that computer science was not what I wanted to do in life.

Looking to the future, in every case, I want to continue social engagement through science. Concerning “life and career”—I’m not sure. Principally, the thing I appreciate and I hope most for in the future is to find people who are a bit like me and understand me. Right now, I’m just a little focused on “passing the present”—looking after the future when it comes time to do so.

Richard Schild, 19, is studying for a degree in mechanical engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (one of the leading universities in science and engineering in Europe) in Karlsruhe, Germany, and hopes to soon be dually enrolled in either the diplôme d'ingenieur en génie mécanique or l'école polytechnique in Paris, France.

Imagine you are 50 years old. Reflect
back on your life’s accomplishments.

As a 50-year-old, I’ll probably reflect back on something I built as an engineer. I would have probably built something that revolutionized the automobile industry. I might also be reflecting on a time when I caught a huge fish. Of course, I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I hope it is mostly good things.

—Boy, 13, Texas

I solved Fermat’s Last Theorem, collected my million bucks, and moved to the South Pacific and enjoyed my life of fame from my bungalow on stilts over a turquoise sea.

—Girl, 13, Georgia

Unfortunately, my life took a strange detour leading me to become #3 on Interpol’s most wanted list. I found a way to hack any encryption code and had access to all the world’s secrets and finances. I now travel the globe in total secrecy, and my wealth is unending.

—Boy, 14, California

I hope by then that I have helped at least a thousand people and not charged them anything. I just want to look back and see that I have helped people better their lives.

—Girl, 14, New Mexico

I lived life large and learned that paparazzi destroy your privacy and ability to be a regular human being. I wish I could have kept one of my seven wives so I would now have company instead of all these alimony checks to write. Life is lonely when you are at the top.

—Boy, 15, Massachusetts

I can’t do that. I don’t want to. There’s so much I want to do—everything in fact. I want my life to be a continual surprise.

—Girl, 15, Illinois

I had fun times, hard times, and sad times, but I stuck through it all the way.

—Boy, 15, Iowa

After college graduation, I moved away, purchased a home with my husband, adopted a few children, and opened my own school for gifted children. At 60, I moved to Florida and became a golf junkie.

—Girl, 15, Indiana

My first 50 years were spent unraveling the genetic code and finding a means of delivering eternal youth to humans. Heading into my next 50 years, I hope to settle down and start a family.

—Girl, 16, New Hampshire

I’d like to think I was the all-time leader in strikeouts in the Mars Baseball League, did a lot of interesting and cool stuff in computer science and math, and maybe even had kids of my own. No, that’s too weird. I can’t imagine 50!

—Boy, 16, Arkansas

I went to college as the young African American woman that I am. I got over every obstacle that blocked my way, and I worked hard to become a successful doctor.

—Girl, 16, Michigan

YOUR TURN

Do you think issues like high expectations, perfectionism, or boredom will go away or become easier to deal with as you get older?

Of all the obstacles you currently face as a gifted teen, which one(s) do you think will linger on beyond the school years? Which ones are likely to be resolved (or reduced) after high school or college graduation? Why?

I’m not sure what I will have done, but I hope I will be proud of whatever I accomplished and the choices I made.

—Boy, 17, Wisconsin

Our family is my greatest accomplishment. Our six children are just beginning their adult lives, which is wonderful to watch. Fortunately, my last three novels have become runaway hits and the trilogy will hit the big screen soon. Life has been good so far, and I can’t wait to finish my current writing project!

—Girl, 17, Pennsylvania

I have retired after 20 years of serving my country in the U.S. Air Force. I have a wife and three children, and I regularly explore the world, for its secrets are endless.

—Boy, 18, Tennessee

I might die before I am 50. This makes me want to cry.

—Boy, 18, Alabama

Are you hopeful about the future?

Yes, but I will have to get a little organized.

—Boy, 11, Louisiana

With new technologies, despite the chaos it might bring, the world will be a better place in the future because of a few strong individuals. Physically, emotionally, or intellectually, these people will grasp onto ideas to better the world. I hope I can be one of those people.

—Girl, 13, New Jersey

I live as an optimist. Without hope, what is there in life?

—Boy, 13, Washington

I am not hopeful because we are still all going to die. Yes, I dream and wish for some things, but overall, cynicism is safer.

—Girl, 13, Ontario

It depends on what you mean by this question. If you mean my future, then, yes, I am very hopeful. If you are talking about the world’s future, then my answer is no.

—Boy, 14, Connecticut

I do feel hopeful about the future because I have a lot of support in my life. Also, I always do everything to the best of my ability, and I think that quality is going to help me. My parents support me a lot and that motivates me to have positive ways of thinking about my life. I have hope because I believe in myself and others believe in me.

—Girl, 14, California

I always say, “When bad comes, there is always good behind it,” because you can’t go through life dwelling on the negative. You’d be miserable.

—Girl, 14, Ohio

I don’t think life will get better or worse. Every day is the same for me.

—Boy, 14, Massachusetts

Every door I come to is open, and while that is a little scary, I know I’ll make the right decisions when I need to.

—Girl, 15, Iowa

I have this theory that if you think of the worst, that’s how things are going to work out, so I always think of the best.

—Boy, 15, Illinois

I wonder sometimes why adults can’t seem to solve problems or at least sit down and talk things over. We are constantly told to play nice with others and respect differences. Yet, these same goals are often totally ignored by adults. This leads to wars and other negative outcomes that impact everyone. How is this so difficult to see from the adult perspective? Yes, I am hopeful, but that hopefulness gets chipped away every time I see an adult or our government make a stupid decision based more on emotion and pride than intelligence and wisdom.

—Girl, 15, Wyoming

Am I hopeful? So much so that I believe the Cubs will win the World Series next year, or maybe the year after that, maybe.

—Boy, 15, North Carolina

Hope helps me make plans for the future. It is the hope that my life will be a good one that carries me through each day. Hope also is a coping mechanism that leads you to change your ways in order to better fit your ideal sense of being a person. Yes, I am a hopeful person—a romantic, some would say.

—Girl, 15, Utah

My friends make me feel hopeful because they’re good people with the same high standards I have. With God, my parents, and my friends, there is nothing not to be hopeful about.

—Boy, 15, Texas

The future is what I live for—I can’t wait! I know it is going to be great!

—Girl, 16, Indiana

The only way forward is through a sense and belief in hope. Think how depressing life would be if you gave up on your hope for anything better. As I see it, without hope, you are an empty shell of a person, probably destined for life in prison or worse.

—Boy, 16, Wisconsin

I can’t really say that I feel hopeful about the future in general. I find myself quite disgusted with the way society is today, and I think that can only worsen over time. Overall, people are ill-mannered, uneducated, and overly dependent on technology. All people seem to care about is careers, dieting, and being sexy. I often wonder if people remember how to think. If I could, I’d start my own world from scratch. Most days I think that the one we’re on now is messed up beyond repair.

—Girl, 17, New Jersey

Being secure in my abilities and potential, I know I will succeed.

—Boy, 17, Tennessee

Living in a small town in the rural Midwest has really drained a lot of hope out of me. I doubt that I’ll marry, and I’m not sure I’ll be motivated enough to make it through college.

—Boy, 18, Nebraska

I am a hopeful person. This helps me see past the nose on my face and my immediate life circumstance toward a future that is brighter than my current situation. It might be scary to see so many possibilities and not know which one is the right one for me. But, it is better to have options and hope than to rely on the [chance] that you will win the lottery by spending your last $10 to try to change your life.

—Girl, 18, Florida

Many teens in this section express a strong sense of hope for the future. They expect the future will lead to a better life. Some would say these individuals have a lot of resilience and a positive outlook on life. Others might say that the rough realities of life’s struggles will teach these gifted teens some life lessons that are sure to bring them down a notch or two.

We believe a sense of hopefulness is what carries us forward in life. Dream big dreams and live your life based on your sense of hope for the future. Tie your passions to your sense of hope and you’ll have a powerful mindset in place—a sense of passionate hopefulness.

YOUR TURN

Have you identified areas in life where you are passionate about getting involved? What are some of your ideals (or hopes) for your personal future? Do you have a lot of hopes or just a few? Which are the three most important to you? Why?

What can you do to inspire a deeper sense of hopefulness in yourself? In others?

 

Career Paths . . . Living Your Dreams

We all want our life dreams to come true, and we tell ourselves that we are going to try our hardest to attain them. But the truth is, most of us don’t reach our highest dreams, and we settle for something lower. But I don’t want to “settle.” Once I pick a career, I’m going to try and try until I accomplish what I want.

—Girl, 15, Ohio

I cannot fathom a single professional career. My dream is to be able to prepare for multiple careers cutting across multiple professions. I think this way I can follow my interests and also can count on being flexible enough to always have a job. This is a looming worry for me. How do you prepare for a future where the jobs are likely to be very different from the present; perhaps the jobs don’t even exist yet? And, how do you know if your dreams are going to match what the future holds?

—Boy, 16, Washington

My dreams and hopes for the future are constantly changing. I have not found a pattern to life that gives me the ability to focus my efforts and prepare myself for a career. I am afraid that I’ll make a choice that requires a lot of training and then find out near the end of my preparations that my interests have changed yet again! How do you pick a career path? How do you know that you have chosen the right one?

—Girl, 17, New York

I have always been told to just go for it. But I cannot decide what things can hold my attention for the rest of my life. I am at the cusp of adulthood but I don’t feel at all like I can be an adult. The responsibility to choose wisely now, so I have a successful and fulfilling life, paralyzes me. I am accumulating credits and it is time to pick a major or career path. I don’t know what to do. Can you help?

—Boy, 19, Massachusetts

You should have asked for advice about matching your dreams to a successful career path. I need some help in deciding how to channel my many interests into a meaningful career. I would like to be independent and financially able to raise a family one day soon, but I don’t want to close doors on options at this point in my life. I want it all, but can’t even decide what all really is.

—Girl, 20, Florida

YOUR TURN

What dreams do you have about your future career path?

In an earlier Your Turn activity, we pointed out that the future likely holds several career changes for you. Hey, if you have to change, you might as well have a plan, right?

Fold a sheet of paper down the center (“hot dog bun” style). In the left column, list careers that (might) interest you. Once you have completed your list, rank your top five from most interesting to least interesting.

Spend some time online researching the amount and type of training you need for each of your top five careers. In the right column, list the training requirements for each of your top three careers.

Compare/contrast your interest in the career with the training requirements. Has your interest changed based on what you have learned about training requirements? Has your top five career list changed?

Can you find a person who works in each of your top three careers to talk to about his or her experiences? What advice do they have for you? Can you do a job shadow for a day? (Ask! They will be flattered and probably very willing.)

When you try to pinpoint what it is that makes one person successful while another one with equal talents or skills is less successful, there is no magic formula. Some might say it is “being in the right place at the right time” or knowing someone who can get you that perfect summer internship or entry-level job. However, these are more elements of chance than they are directions you can follow. Is there anything that you can do directly that might increase your likelihood of life success?

Well, according to Zoltan Mesko in the following essay, the best person to determine your future is . . . you. And the best ways to ensure success have more to do with getting actively involved than with hanging back passively. As you’ll read, this formula is working very well for Zoltan.

Zoltan Mesko

The Symbiotic Relationship I Found Between
Academics and Athletics

My education began in former Communist Romania. I grew up in a city of 300,000 called Timisoara, where four languages are spoken: Romanian, Hungarian, German, and Serbian. Before I knew it, I was fluent in the first three of these languages. I attended a school where everything was taught in German. School in Romania was absolutely grueling to me and my classmates, for along with having to learn high school level mathematics in elementary school, I also had to deal with memorizing a different lengthy German or Romanian poem almost daily. The catch to this was that we were cold-called to recite it in front of the classroom—there was no escape! It was tough to manage my academics, along with having to go to polka dance rehearsals (yes, laugh it up, my mom’s at fault on this one) but with hard work, I got through and did well in school.

In 1997, my family received wonderful news that we had won the U.S. green card lottery, something that millions of foreigners apply for every year. Only 55,000 families annually get the privilege of coming to America to pursue their dreams, and we were fortunate enough to beat the odds.

When I first enrolled as a fourth grader in Queens, NY, learning came easily to me. I did struggle with English initially, but I became fairly fluent in just a couple of months. Within the year, I had caught up to everyone in reading, writing, and spelling, but I was studying the same math that I had learned in second grade. Because I wasn’t being challenged in math, I became complacent, because it is in our human makeup to take the path of least resistance.

One of the catalysts that really started my development as a student, an athlete, and most importantly, as a person of character, was my teachers’ realization that I needed to be challenged more. This got me placed with the gifted students in sixth grade. To cope with the increased level of difficulty in school, I started to play soccer for the local travel team and basketball at the local YMCA (obviously, I had more skill in one sport more than the other, but I refuse to tell you which!). I found sports to be a great escape from becoming overwhelmed or burnt out by school. However, it is important to note that the opposite also proved true. I had found a unique symbiotic relationship between the books and the sports arena. I like to call it my “developmental ying and yang.”

When I moved to the city of Twinsburg, OH, in seventh grade, the same formula kept working and my development kept progressing. Eventually, I graduated from high school with a nonweighted GPA of 3.97, and my $45,000 per year college tuition was paid for by my ability to play football. Once again, and on a much grander scale, athletics had helped out my academics. The academic side was what I had always banked on, and if football was going to be a vehicle to help me get my college degree, then so be it.

I never intended for my athletic skills to earn me a living, but with hard work and that symbiotic relationship between the books and the sports, that’s exactly what happened. I figured that if my football career didn’t work out, my enrollment in one of the top five business schools in America surely would. After graduating, I ended up staying an extra year at college and earned my master’s degree in sports management.

The benefits and life lessons I learned as a student-athlete throughout my schooling are absolutely priceless. The skill set I developed by having to juggle multiple commitments taught me more in life than anything else.

I strongly encourage anyone to follow a similar path. I'm not just talking about getting involved in sports, but you have to do something else other than academics to keep you going—something that truly makes you tick, something you’re passionate about. Play an instrument, sing in the choir, volunteer, dance, act, join the science or chess club. Just get out there and have something that will make you constructively forget about your academic stresses. Doing so diversifies your risk and complements your development. When you do something legitimate and productive in your free time (which you’d otherwise waste playing video games or twirling your thumbs), you will undoubtedly recharge your “academic battery,” too. Consequentially, you will enhance your overall development as a human being.

One other thing I’d like to address is the effort and sacrifice it takes to become successful. The one lesson I learned more through sports than anything else was the formula and habit of hard work paying off. It was easier to see this through sports than academics, because the results were immediate and apparent. However, I started realizing that the “hard work formula” applies in every aspect of life.

I have never considered myself a super-intelligent person, but I believe that I worked harder at tasks than many around me—I’ve definitely stretched my envelope to its fullest. I really pride myself on the sacrifices and countless hours I’ve put into any daunting task I was assigned by others or that I assigned to myself. At the end of the day, when the grueling hours of studying and dedication to something I love are through, the suffering completely dissipates and I embrace my reward. Remember this: Things that are worth your time are going to require both hard work and sacrifice.

I love it when I run into someone and they give me the usual excuse of “Oh, but you are smart and talented and things come easily to you.” First off, I tell them they have it completely upside down, as the reasons behind my success are hard work and determination more than anything else. Second, I quote one of my favorite Teddy Roosevelt lines: “I am only an average man but, by George, I work harder at it than the average man.”

We can’t change the cards we are dealt, but we can certainly control the way we play them. Play yours well.

While playing football at the University of Michigan, Zoltan Mesko earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing as well as his master’s degree in sports management. He is currently a professional football player with the New England Patriots (and played in Super Bowl XLVI), after having been drafted in the fifth round out of college.

SUMMARY

We opened with multipotential in this chapter and end with reflection. Your life requires an almost continuous cycle of identifying opportunities, making choices, and reflecting on your decisions. Some people believe they have little chance to mitigate what they might call fate and give in to their perceived lot in life. Others take a more proactive position, continually scratching and clawing toward making their dreams into reality. These approaches are extremes, and chances are good you will be of a middling sort. But, regardless of your perspective, reflection is a key component to your knowledge, understanding, and developing wisdom.

Looking toward the future is as much an emotional endeavor as a developing plan of action. There are choices to be made without enough information to feel comfortable or foresee an outcome. There are also curve balls that life will throw that you cannot hope to hit.

All in all, the journey and brief respites you take to reflect on things are key to discovering and developing your own map from here to the future. Maybe cartography should be one of those five careers you are destined to encounter throughout your life. Do you have an interest in sextants?

Get busy charting your course!