ABERDEEN, Sask. – If given by a parent, the teenagers would likely have hated the lecture, but they enjoyed it when David Street told them to stop dawdling.
In an energetic presentation that used chunks of red and white plastic to underline his message, the Vancouver-based motivational speaker said young people must plan their lives.
Street’s was one of the workshops at a May 3-4 conference of 150 Saskatchewan peer counsellors. These student volunteers are in most provincial schools and are there to talk to any student who has a problem.
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Legoman played a big role in the talk to the student counsellors. Street divided the workshop into small groups and gave each a bag of Lego parts and had them reconstruct a figurine using verbal feedback only.
Part of the building exercise underlined the need for planning and preparation before acting. Street said various groups have been clocked to see how long it takes to get the man assembled. Managers took 63 minutes to plan and six minutes to assemble, teachers were 35 minutes planning and 17 minutes assembling.
But the world record is held by a group of 10 year olds who took 93 minutes to plan and only 48 seconds to put the figure together.
Choose career wisely
Street said most people take longer to buy a house or car than to make a career choice.
“If careers are changing every five to 10 years in your lifetime, don’t you think your life is worth more than just jumping in?”
He said if teens don’t go to university or college with a plan, they are just wasting their time. Often their parents may pressure to make career decisions, but “the pressure doesn’t go away as you grow up. What can alleviate it, though, is thought, preparation and planning. Don’t leave things to the 11th hour.”
A parent can help a teen find a focus by helping him explore his interests early in life and help him try some work experiences or job shadowing program.
In an interview, Street said every generation has its particular worry. Young people today are hearing there is no hope or options for them. But Street said while there are fewer jobs, there are work opportunities.
“Contract work is not scary, but you have to plan your life more.
“Our young people have to realize they have to take more responsibility for their lives and reconcile their expectations with job realities.
“What are you doing about it?”
