This morning I came across the following quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that I’d like to share with you, since it is his day after all. :)
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Below you’ll see how I believe this quote could be used along with the more common question we tend to ask ourselves from time to time – “What should I do with my life?”
The more things change, the more they stay the same…
Working at a college, whether you’re a professor or a staff member like myself, you find yourself interacting with young adults on a daily basis. As each day passes we become another day older, but it seems as if time stands still for the students at Morningside; they never age! The typical age of our college students is roughly between 17 and 22 years old. If you think about it, we will forever be working with that same age group, year, after year… after year. Some days I feel a little bit like Robin Williams as Peter Pan in “Hook” (FIGURATIVELY speaking of course) when he returns to Never Land.
It can be depressing to be regularly reminded by young people what you once thought was “cool,” isn’t any longer, and probably never will be again. I do my best to stay away from discussing movies and music with students as I’ve discovered it’s extremely easy to date myself. :) While some topics of conversation may date us, many other outside the classroom talks we have with our students are not only relatable, but help keep us young at heart; especially those involving fun stories or experiences they share with us.
Yes, many things have changed over the years, but a few things will always remain the same; first, the overall passion and enthusiasm our students have for life and learning, and second, visiting with students who tell us they aren’t sure what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Guess what… That’s OK! In fact we’re rather impressed by students who are uncertain of their futures, not because they aren’t prepared for them, but because there are so many opportunities waiting for them they don’t know which one to choose. The other thing is the majority of our students want to do something more than just earn a college degree. They want to meet new people, share new experiences, and make a difference… What they are seeking is a meaningful life. Through our constant efforts to get them involved on campus in a wide range of activities and in our community with various types of service work, they leave Morningside knowing there’s more to life than a job and a pay check; it’s the people in our lives who truly matter. While it’s difficult for us to answer their question, “What should I do with my life,” we’re just happy they’re asking this because it shows us they’re thinking about more than just the degree they’re earning. They are looking at the bigger picture.
From now on, when a student asks me this, I’ll be sure to share the quote I found today from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. because I believe if they are able to answer his question, “What are you doing for others,” not only will they go on to lead rich and fulfilling lives, they’ll also be making our world a better place in the process.
I hope you enjoyed the post today. If you did, please share it with others by using the share buttons below. Thanks for reading. Take care and have a good one!
Sincerely,
The Mside Admissions Guy
Jim Braunschweig
Filed under: Uncategorized, college, education, martin luther king, morningside, quote
MsideGuy
The Mside Admissions Guy 