Nobodies to Somebodies: Ways of Finding Yourself

Today I began reading Peter Han's Nobodies to Somebodies: How 100 Leaders in Business, Politics, Arts, Science, and Nonprofits Got Started. The book speaks to young people, born between 1975 and 1985, who yearn for making a difference in the world, but struggle with making the decisions that will build their careers. In many ways, this book is an intergenerational dialogue. Han believes that there is a great deal young people can learn from older generations, and that the best way to glean that guidance is to ask the right questions of the older generation. Specifically, Han asks leaders across sectors about their first experiences out of college, about the formidable experiences they've had before they became elite achievers. How did they manage themselves? How did they start out?

 "Young people remain hungry for perspective on how to translate their aspirations to achievement," he writes. "And older people remain capable of offering that perspective" (ix). This reminds me of the purpose of my intergenerational women's group, which serves to build these connections between the generations through dialogue.

I am going to try to share the lessons I'm learning from this book with you, my singular audience, because I hope that you can benefit from this information.

Step 1: Ways of Finding Yourself 
"Happiness might be defined as doing something we love, with excellence." (4)
Important questions to ask ourselves as we begin our careers is: What is my larger mission in life? There are 5 possible methods, remembered collectively as ROCKET:
R. The Random Walk
O. Open-Ended Exploration
C. Close-Ended Exploration
K. Killer Excellence After Expedience
T. Trailblazing

My preferred method is the Open-Ended Exploration. In the past 3 years, I had the opportunity to travel to Saudi Arabia (twice), Turkey, Bangladesh, and the UAE. I've also taken multiple road trips across the United States, visited small-town America, and bigger cities like Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Troy, DC, and many other cities I cannot remember. I met people from around the world, shared moments, gifts, and memories, particularly in Saudi Arabia. From hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca), I learned that I could live anywhere. I could endure anything, and I was able to see and feel like I had nothing. My greatest strength, as I traveled around the world, was the ability to engage other people. I was not afraid of asking strangers about themselves. I loved talking to strangers, trying to engage other people, even if the exchanges were simply smiling. I remember never feeling unsafe. I remember the first time I went to London at the age of 15 or 16, I felt like connecting to people I did not know.

Han advises us to Run Toward Yourself, Not Away which makes sense. I almost got fired from an early job because of my listless work and lack of engagement. I was not motivated to do the work, no matter how hard I tried to make the work interesting (making up stories about the customers who came there). Pulitzer winner Tom Hallman was fired as an editorial assistant because of his lack of engagement. This is not a predictor of competence or intrinsic worth, simply the reality of a bad fit with the job.

In an attempt to remind myself of my strengths, and also simultaneously to prepare for my interview tomorrow, here is a list of my top 5 themes:


Learner ---

People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want 

to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, 

excites them. 

Connectedness --

People who are especially talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links 

between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a 

reason. 

Intellection ---

People who are especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their 

intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions. 

Adaptability --- People who are especially talented in the Adaptability theme prefer to “go with the flow.” They tend to be “now” people who take things as they come and discover the future one day  at a time.

Strategic --- People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. 

Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues. 



What StrengthsFinder 2.0 Says About me: 

"It’s very likely that you regularly apply yourself to scholarly pursuits. For hours, you think  seriously about various issues or ideas. You feel very optimistic about life when you can dedicate yourself to your studies. Chances are good that you yearn to be inspired by your work. You want experience to be your teacher. You need to feel enthused by your work or studies. You constantly acquire knowledge and skills. Whenever you study facts, ponder concepts, test theories, or sharpen your skills, you feel most alive. 

By nature, you may underscore what people have in common even though their backgrounds, experiences, languages, cultures, or interests may vary. Sometimes you facilitate dialogue between individuals. Once in a while, you create peace within groups or between people by pointing out links between them {www.Rememberingforward.blogspot.com}You sense you are part of the lives of other individuals and accept they are part of your existence. This outlook on life probably influences what you say or do for people as well as how you care for the environment. Instinctively, you might be determined to do good for people and/or the environment. Driven by your talents, you may work in earnest to help people identify some of the interests, experiences, or friendships they share. It’s very likely that you are attracted to news that promises to improve the quality of life for the entire human family. 

Driven by your talents, you favor conversations where information, facts, or data are  considered objectively — that is, emotions do not distort the truth. You pose questions, evaluate answers, and figure out how things work. Reducing an idea, theory, or process to most basic parts provides you with many insights. You are likely to archive — that is, preserve — your discoveries so you can use them later. It’s very likely that you probably are a well-read individual. Reading is one of your favorite pastimes.

What do you believe are your strengths? How are you building them right now? Thanks for reading!