VOICES FROM THE PAST

I recently uncovered an interesting correlation between time capsules and old personal development plans. The maxim is that sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same. My 8th grader came home the other day very excited about opening a time capsule from his 1st grade year. It contained letters that his dad and I wrote to him detailing his life in the 2000/2001 school year as well as some other memoribilia. The interesting thing is that most of the characteristics that he exhibited back then are the same characteristics that he is known for today: intelligence, big reader, history lover, talented musician, enjoys playing sports that require little running (Golf, Golf, Golf!), loves to sell- used to be lemonade stands and home grown veggies, now it's selling us a story on why he "can't" do something that we ask him to do. My time capsule note ended with the following words:

"I think you are quite charismatic, as many people are drawn to you and I think you will make an excellent leader one day. My hope is that as you get ready to graduate from 8th grade, you have fulfilled all the things that are important to you and most especially that you have grown into a loving, respectful, intelligent, caring young man. You are always my special guy and the light of my life. Here is an Eskimo kiss for you: Love, Mom. p.s. No one writes letters any more; everything is done by email. I can only guess what you will be doing in 2008!"

Note to self: mission accomplished, as today he is all of what I had hoped for and so much more and I have to say that I never imagined back then that he would be "talking" to friends via the use of texting in an abbreviated language about the most mundane things. It simply didn't exist back then................................................

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While cleaning out my office, I found a Personal Action Plan for myself from 1999. It is one of those computer-based profiles that agencies/universities do to assist with career planning. In one section I had to list my core values and I am happy to report that like 13 yr. old Cameron, not a lot has changed in the past 8 years and for the record, that's a good thing!

Here they are:

• Family-focused
• Committed to giving back to the community
• Highly Authentic
• Integrity
• Honesty
• Doing the Right Thing
• Work/Life Balance
• Private Time (for personal pursuits)
• Recognition
• Achievement
• Challenging Opportunities
• Learning Environment
• Organizational abilities

Here's to hoping there is consistency in your life, if not, take steps to make a Personal Action Plan that gets you to where you want to be in life. There's no time like the present.

CARPE DIEM!!!