Listen to what people say about you

I distinctly remember the day in senior year when Diane Pagnani told me that I was voted the "Most Sympathetic" one in the class. I was crushed by this very uncool label. Secretly, I wanted to be voted "Most Popular" or "Prettiest" (even though I knew I wasn't either of these). However, the "Most Sympathetic" label proved to be an extremely accurate and fortuitous description of who I would become. For the last nine years I have been "being sympathetic" to thousands of students whenever I provide academic or career counseling to them.

But did I pay attention to what Diane said about me in senior year? No! Luckily, however, serendipity came into play and I ended up doing exactly what I was meant to do. So...pay close attention to what others say about you! Others can often see us much better than we see ourselves. Think about your own life and the things people say you're good at, or what adjectives they use to describe you. What do teachers, coaches, friends and relatives say about you? Do you see any consistent patterns, any words that come up over and over? Listen to them. By listening to people's objective opinions (people other than your mother!), you could discover clues regarding which career to pursue.

So, what were you voted in high school? Could it hold the key to your future? Both of my daughters were voted "Class Clown" (how did THAT happen?), and they're both pursuing acting careers. I guess they listened to what others said about them!