Your profiles reflect what you profess.

Don’t overlook the power of your social media voice. Your words can bring life and health or crush someone’s spirit. And your negative, crushing posts can become viral…even on Snapchat.

The Chronicle of Higher Education shared that “an incoming Cornell University freshman and football player, Nate Panza, lost his spot on the team after his friend posted a Snapchat video of Panza using a racial slur (The Cornell Daily Sun).”

Paul urged Christians: "do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" (Ephesians 4:29).

This is more than purging your posts.

This is more than scrubbing your social commentary.

While Panza offered his sincere apologies for what was captured on camera, there are still consequences. "I am heartbroken I have hurt people; those I know and those I do not. I take full responsibility for my actions.”

Some people need a change of heart; you may just need to change how you promote yourself online.

College bound teenagers, gain an advantage for college admissions by professionalizing your social media profiles (especially LinkedIn)!

Social media reviews at the college level has become significantly more nuanced than the commonly shared vision of an admissions officer Googling the name of a prospective student. As the way colleges are utilizing social media evolves, so must the social media advice offered to college-bound students.

Social Assurity is offering my readers a 50% discount for the Social Media Strategies for College Admissions Success course ($250 off) with code BRETT2020 through August 31.

Looking forward to seeing you soar!

ENERGY

When you think of energy do you think of that pink rabbit endlessly playing the bass drum?

Or how about a Jack Russell Terrier? Described as a charming, affectionate and lively dog that is also a handful to train and manage. And don’t try to cage a Jack Russell. He’ll bust through those wires and wreak havoc on your living room. (So I’ve heard.)

To help you identify your passion, you need to think about what energizes you. Quickly make a list of a few things that you never get tired of doing.

What gets you up in the morning?

What keeps you up at night?

Where do you focus your boundless energy?

When you identify what energizes your life, you’ll find the keys that unlock and identify your passion.

You also need to think about out what or who drains your energy. Does that environment, person, or situation slow you down and put you in a cage? Find ways to eliminate those “energy vampires” (as Jon Gordon calls them). Doing so will free you to do your best work.

Additionally, realizing what changes you want to make in your life can give you insights into your passion. In a blog about traits that accelerate your influence at work, Forbes contributor Glenn Llopis wrote that “passion is what fuels your intention and strategies for creating change.”

Glenn encourages us to talk about what excites us most with others. It may open doors of opportunity within your circle of influence at your church or in your community. He wrote, “your passion defines the magnitude of the impact you seek to create.”

What are you seeking to create?

Energize your life today!

EXPERIENCE

Experiencing life helps teenagers focus their energy and identify their passion.

You can narrow down your career choices while practicing physical distancing by volunteering remotely, earning online certifications, developing a hobby, learning a skill, or getting a part-time job in industries that energize you.

Experience gives you opportunities to fail in a safe environment while you develop transferable skills.

Perhaps you have an answer when asked “what do you love to do?”

I love to fish. I love to draw. I love to code. I love to play basketball. I love it when I win the Battle Royale.

In his book, “Reset: How to get paid and love what you do,” author Dustin Peterson asks the reader to dig deeper. He asks, “what do you love about what you love to do?” Finding those answers will reveal the talent that drives your passion which leads to transferable skills for you to develop. It may take time for you to really develop your skills before getting noticed.

Here are three simple ways to gain experience:

The first way to gain experience is to EARN.

Earn a paycheck at a part-time job doing work. Yes, work. Mowing lawns, filling orders, bagging groceries, or stocking shelves will teach you many skills and disciplines that you can apply anywhere.

Earn certifications in coding, accounting, Microsoft Office, or other skilled areas.
Earn micro-credentials from local colleges.

Jennifer Tardy encourages us to “keep thinking about your career path and think about what skills you have today that are transferable to another industry.”

The second way to gain experience is to LEARN.

Learn from webinars, masterclasses, and Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs). Visit Class Central for list of all free and paid MOOCs.

Learn from reading magazines and lots and lots of books.

The third way to gain experience is to INTERN.

Unfortunately, 34% of summer internships have been cut or cancelled because of Covid-19.

So you’ll need to network to find projects or online volunteer options. Visit local job boards, LinkedIn, or state workforce websites for opportunities.

If you are at least 16 years old, set up your LinkedIn and social media profiles. I would encourage you to take the social media course through Social Assurity (save $250 using the coupon code BRETT2020 when you check out). Know that 36% of admissions officers view college applicants’ social media and 32% said what they found had a negative impact (Kaplan Survey).

Whether you earn, learn, or intern, remember that what you know is not as important as what you’ve learned. While a degree will open the door, your skills will help you soar.

Experience life today!

ENJOYMENT

Everyone wants to enjoy life.

You are in a place where you are free to create life exactly the way you want, with no constraints or limitations.

When you realize what you enjoy about life, it will help you identify your passion.

Pay attention to what you spend your time doing, reading, talking, and thinking about. Take inventory on your hobbies, friendships, and above experiences.

Some of your passions will not turn into a career. You may be a volunteer coach or mentor. You may write lines of poetry to relieve stress. You may draw simply because it makes you smile.

Enjoy life today!

As you add up what energizes you, your experiences, and what you enjoy, you eventually turn your passion into a career.

Addressing the impact of coronavirus on the economy, The New Yorker published a story about Kelly Bates, “a forty-one-year-old single mom who lives with her nine-year-old daughter a middle-income neighborhood of aging red-brick row houses a few miles from the Philadelphia airport.”

While working as an assistant director at a chain of local child-care centers, she is also earning her bachelor’s degree in early-childhood education. She said that, “Babies are my passion. I’m part mom, part dad, part therapist, part doctor, and part food-program officer.”

BEFORE YOU GO

Do you think your passion could be your higher calling?

Don’t be like Alice in Wonderland asking for directions on where to go but not caring where she went. Register for my FREE WEBINAR on how to connect fast growing careers to God's calling on your life!

And remember, “All things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).