Ashton Kutcher nails it: "Opportunity looks a lot like hard work"

Here we are nearly a month out from my last post. I've worked quite a bit on building up my review blog this summer. I committed to expanding it and reaching out to do more reviews. It has felt really good to work on it, too. Additionally, work has been well underway on the actual book that S and I decided to write. This blog started as a place to organize thoughts and re-start my writing. I come here to collect thoughts. I have had to work on gathering that collection of thoughts and work on putting them into the book. We still have a lot of work to do, but what we have accomplished this summer has been simply amazing. I am proud of S. I am proud of myself. I am proud of what we are doing. We also started Project 60. It started as little under-the-radar Facebook group. We still work to ensure the privacy of our participants in the group. But we are working on taking Project 60 to a new level. One step taken recently is the launch of the Project 60 website. Check it out here.

What brings me back to writing here tonight is an incredible speech Ashton Kutcher gave at the Teen Choice Awards. This is something parents should watch with their children and teachers should watch with their students. He said some incredibly powerful, important things that young people need to hear.

OPPORTUNITY = WORK

I have always believed this. Unfortunately, I am sure there are many (if not most) of us who know at least one person who believes that opportunity will just come. They sit in their living rooms waiting for opportunity to knock on the proverbial door. They complain when it doesn't. What seems to go unnoticed is that while they were waiting for opportunity to knock and let itself in, opportunity just kept on walking down the street. I believe that hard work pays off and I believe that opportunities come to those who work for them.

Last spring, as I wrapped up the school year as a half-time teacher, I also worked on rebooting my writing career and I spent hours upon hours filling out job applications. As a teacher, right now at this point in my life, I need to work full time. Applying for jobs can be a full time job in itself. It takes creativity in scheduling when you are working, but you do what you need to do. I branched out my search. I looked nightly. I lost track of how many applications I submitted. I hoped for interviews that never came and I learned to accept rejection letters. As the end of summer neared, I found peace. I knew that I would be ok with continuing to work haltime while writing in my "free" time. I love to write, writing projects are underway. I'll use the time I have for writing. Then I decided to follow-up on one last job application. Apparently my application packet had been misplaced. It was a good thing I looked into it. I ended up with a job interview scheduled for 48 hours after my call. It was awesome. The interview went well. I celebrated. I felt joy. Yet, something still felt a little off. You see, I love my school. I think that love for this school conflicted with my desire to work full time. I again reached a point of peace. I knew I would be ok whatever the outcome of that job interview. It felt so good to feel so at peace. The next day, a call came.

~~~
The call came from my current principal. An additional teaching opportunity had opened and I was the right fit. So, I get to stay at the school I love and I get to teach full time Bonus is that I know I will still have time to continue with my writing projects. Weekends and early morning hours will be key. But I had gone above and beyond as a half-time teacher, so I know that I will commit a lot of time as a full time teacher. I know it will work because I will work to make it work.

OPPORTUNITY = WORK

"I've never had a job in my life that I was better than," Kutcher said, "I was always lucky just to have a job."

No one is too good for any job. The only thing anyone is too good for is wasting their talents sitting around, limiting their searches, and failing themselves by not trying. No job opportunity is a waste. Every job opportunity is just that, opportunity! Take it. If you feel you are too good for it, then you are failing yourself and you are failing others. It may not be your dream job or you ultimate career goal, but work is work.

The second thing Kutcher addressed is sexiness. He declared that being smart is sexy. More young people need to wrap their minds around this. They deserve to know that they are sexy just as they are. Intelligence is a beautiful trait.

Kutcher's third strong point came in the form of what to do with life.
"Build a life, don't live one."

I believe in living life to the fullest and not allowing a single moment pass by. But, he is exactly right. Each and every one of us must build the life we want and need. No one can build it for us. As parents, teachers, grandparents, friends, counselors...we all have a responsibility to help build the foundation on which young people will build their lives. They deserve that. They deserve our best. The least we can do is help them see their beauty, embrace their intelligence, and help them choose to grab every opportunity that comes from their hard work. I network in different ways because it's worth it. I build relationships because each and every relationship has a benefit. I build a career because I want it and my children deserve to see the payoff of hard work and dedication. Persistence, tenacity, patience, diligence....it all pays off.

The point Kutcher made I wish to end with tonight: "Be thoughtful, be smart, and be generous."

We would all benefit from every individual choosing these three things. Imagine what the world would be like. wow!

To see the entirety of his speech (and you should all watch it if you haven't already):