Unlock The Power Of
Life Lessons: Find
Deeper Purpose In Your
Career
ByKathy Miller Perkins, Contributor.
Kathy Miller Perkins, Ph.D. covers purpose-driven leaders and careers
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Nov 20, 2023, 02:50pm EST
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Life lessons contribute to our tree of knowledge.
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In the tapestry of our lives, each thread represents a lesson learned, a
challenge overcome, or a moment of enlightenment.
You can't connect the dots looking forward, according to Steve Jobs’
famous 2005 Stanford commencement speech. You can only link them
by looking backward.
Learning from our past experiences brings wisdom. What led to our
greatest successes so far? What can we learn from our mistakes that
will help us to make better choices in the future? What turning points
enabled us to grow?
These life lessons are more than just personal anecdotes; they form
the bedrock upon which we can build our lives and careers, filled with
purpose and meaning.
The Mirror of Self-Understanding
PROMOTED
Self-discovery is at the core of finding meaning and purpose in our
work.
Life moves fast, and taking the time to discover what we want from it
may be a low priority, according to Elizabeth Perry's
recent article in Better Up. However, she claims uncovering our life
lessons can lead to less self-criticism, greater self-confidence, and
increased focus.
Our most significant life lessons serve as a mirror, reflecting our true
passions, strengths, and values. The reflections yield wisdom that
guides our current and future choices and actions.
When we align our career with these core aspects of our identity, we
find work that does not just occupy our time but fulfills our soul.
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Resilience: The Unsung Hero of the Workplace
The value of resilience, a trait honed through life’s trials, can not be
overstated. It's about learning from our challenges and moving
forward with renewed determination.
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In a career, this means embracing change, overcoming setbacks, and
viewing failures and successes not as endpoints but as stepping
stones for growth.
We hear much about learning from our failures. However, our
successes can also provide valuable lessons if we are willing to take
time out to discover them.
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Ask yourself what traits and strengths enabled your achievement.
Consider how you might lean into these personal powers in future
endeavors.
Acknowledge how others contributed to your success. Take the time
to express your gratitude.
Empathy: Connecting Beyond the Surface
The empathy developed through our interactions and relationships is
vital to meaningful work. It aids in building robust professional
networks, managing teams with compassion, and understanding the
needs of clients or customers.
This emotional intelligence can transform a job from a series of tasks
into a journey of human connection.
As you reflect on your past, look for the instances where you have
supported others through empathy. Recall how others have extended
empathy to you and how their caring made a difference.
Both extended and received empathy builds social connections that
feed our well-being.
Perspective: The Art of Prioritizing
Life teaches us to sift through the noise and focus on what truly
matters. This capability is vital in a career context, where the ability
to order tasks and responsibilities can mean the difference between
feeling overwhelmed and having a clear, impactful direction.
As you reflect on your past, you will likely recall times when you ran
in too many directions simultaneously without a clear focus and
purpose to your actions.
Consider how your outcomes might have been better if you had taken
the time to sort out which activities and tasks were most important to
what you were trying to achieve in the big picture of your life and
career.
Goal Setting: The Blueprint of Achievement
Our past experiences inform how we approach goals. Understanding
what has worked (or not) in the past can lead to more effective career
planning. It's about setting targets and crafting a pathway to reach
them that resonates with our personal experiences and insights.
In addition, consider times when you clung to goals that were no
longer relevant as circumstances changed. Ask yourself what might
have been different had you quickly pivoted to new approaches.
Goals must be flexible, especially in these complex and uncertain
times. Develop the wisdom to know the signs indicating a need for
flexibility and adaptation.
Ethical Decision-Making: Guided by Inner Compass
Life lessons often encompass moral dilemmas, shaping our ethical
framework. In the professional realm, this means making effective
decisions that align with our moral and ethical beliefs.
When have you faced these moral dilemmas? And what have you
learned from your choices? These lessons may be the most significant
for offering us wisdom for the present and future.
Creative Problem-Solving: A Legacy of Innovation
The creativity fostered by overcoming life’s challenges is a boon in
any career. It encourages innovative thinking, allowing us to approach
problems from unique perspectives and find solutions that are out-of-
the-box, efficient, and effective.
Remembering the obstacles we’ve conquered and the achievements
we have attained can reignite our passion, especially in times of
professional stagnation.
Life lessons are not just stories of the past; they are the guiding lights
for a fulfilling career. These life lessons can serve as the driving force
that motivates us to grow and face the future with humility and
confidence.
By weaving these lessons into our professional lives, we can transform
our jobs into journeys with purpose, meaning, and personal
fulfillment. In doing so, we enrich our lives and contribute to a world
where work is an extension of our narrative and values
Why Parents Must Help
Their Teens Become AI
Literate And How To
Start
ByDr. Aviva Legatt, Contributor.
Dr. Aviva Legatt covers college admissions and college transitions.
Follow Author
Feb 24, 2025, 02:11pm EST
Save Article
A mother and her teenager collaborate on a virtual high school
assignment using a laptop at home.
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In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, artificial intelligence is a
present reality shaping education, work, and everyday life. As recent
research from OpenAI and Pew highlights, there is a gap between AI
use and AI literacy. While college students and teens alike are
increasingly using AI tools like ChatGPT for learning and schoolwork,
significant disparities exist in AI adoption, creating potential
workforce gaps and educational inequities.
For parents, this raises an urgent question: How can you ensure your
teen is not left behind in this AI-driven future?
The Growing AI Literacy Gap
According to OpenAI’s February 2025 report,more than one-third of
college students in the U.S. use ChatGPT, with adoption rates varying
widely by state. Meanwhile, a January 2025 Pew Research
Center report found that 26% of U.S. teens have used ChatGPT for
schoolwork—double the percentage from 2023. This sharp increase
signals AI’s deepening role in education.
However, despite growing awareness, many students lack formal AI
training. While three in four college students want AI education, only
one in four universities provide it. Similarly, high school students
often rely on informal learning or trial-and-error approaches to AI
tools. This disparity could lead to an uneven playing field, where those
with greater AI fluency gain a competitive edge in future job markets.
PROMOTED
Unexpected Insights And Implications For Parents
ChatGPT adoption varies significantly by state, with higher rates in
California, Virginia, New Jersey, and New York, and lower rates in
Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and West Virginia. This means that teens
in states with lower adoption may lack exposure to AI tools,
potentially creating gaps in AI literacy and workforce readiness. Since
employers increasingly value AI skills, this disparity could affect
teens’ future job prospects and economic opportunities. Parents, if
you live in a state with lower adoption, your teen may need extra
support to gain familiarity with AI tools to stay competitive.
There are also demographic differences in use and awareness of AI.
According to the Pew Report minority teens (31% in Black and
Hispanic, according to the Pew Report) are more likely than White
teens to use ChatGPT for schoolwork. However, White teens (83%)
are more likely than Black (73%) and Hispanic teens (74%) to say
they’ve heard a lot or a little about ChatGPT. This suggests that AI
tools may be helping bridge educational resource gaps for some
groups, but it also raises questions about equitable access and the
quality of AI-assisted learning. Parents, regardless of your
background, ensure your teen understands both the benefits and
limitations of AI tools to avoid over-reliance.
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Teens show some discernment about ethical AI use, but many remain
unsure or opposed to using it for core academic tasks. This indicates a
need for clearer guidance on when AI is a helpful tool versus when it
undermines learning. Teens are more accepting of using ChatGPT for
research (54%) than for writing essays (18%) or solving math
problems (29%). For parents, you may already have an intuitive sense
of when AI is appropriate, but they likely need help refining this
judgment.
In addition, guidance continues to evolve what is considered
acceptable use of AI in human-generated work. On January 29, 2025,
the U.S. Copyright Office issued a report on generative AI, which
underscores the importance of human authorship and originality -
foundational principles of academic integrity. As AI tools become
increasingly integrated into education, it is essential for students to
produce work that reflects their own intellectual contributions, even
when using AI tools.
For ethical practices to be implemented, educational institutions must
develop clear guidelines on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI,
with consistent enforcement. Educators can teach students how to use
AI as a learning aid while emphasizing the importance of critical
thinking and skill development. In addition, educators can design
meaningful assignments that require personal engagement and
original analysis to minimize opportunities for AI misuse. Given that
the share of teens using ChatGPT for schoolwork doubled from 13% in
2023 to 26% in 2025, it is essential for parents to discuss its role in
learning and to support students in experimenting with GenAI to build
their academic knowledge as well as their AI skills.
Actionable Advice For Parents
If your teen hasn’t used AI tools like ChatGPT, introduce them to free
versions. Explore the tool together to understand its capabilities and
limitations. Familiarity and facility with AI is becoming a key
workforce skill. Ensuring access helps level the playing field,
especially if your state or school lags in adoption.
Have conversations with your teen about when it’s acceptable to use
AI. Encourage its use for research, brainstorming, or understanding
complex topics, but emphasize the importance of doing their own
writing and problem-solving. Teens need to develop critical thinking
and academic writing skills. Over-reliance on AI for core tasks can
hinder growth.
Periodically check in on how your teen is using AI for schoolwork. Are
they using it as a supplement or a crutch? Balanced use ensures AI
enhances learning rather than replacing essential skill development.
Finally, help your teen understand that AI can provide inaccurate or
biased information. Encourage them to fact-check and critically assess
AI-generated content. AI literacy includes knowing when to trust AI
and when to seek other sources.
If your teen’s school doesn’t offer AI training, consider speaking with
teachers or administrators about integrating AI literacy into the
curriculum. Formal education can provide structured guidance and
ensure all students gain essential skills.
AI tools like ChatGPT are rapidly becoming part of the educational
landscape, offering both opportunities and challenges. By ensuring
access, fostering ethical use, and encouraging critical thinking,
parents can help their teens harness AI's benefits while developing
the skills needed for an AI-driven future.
