The expression “love what you do, and do what you love” is a powerful lesson. What is really satisfying is the enjoyment of our careers. Personal reward should be equivalent to earning a living. Does our job truly make us happy?

It is truly important that teachers and counselors advise students to pursue an education toward a career best suited to their liking. By junior high, students are thinking of career ideas. Students will favor a particular subject or subjects and courses more than others. Obviously there is a direct correlation between the more favored classes and the grades students earn.

Like all of us, we excel greater when we love what we do. When students pursue a path of which the journey toward completion is enjoyable, the payoff is more than just a financial one. When adequate compensation is combined with personal satisfaction, in my opinion, one has a great job. Career happiness is a major reason why we do what we do. How well students excel in particular courses in most cases plays a major role in what career choice one will find employment. A goal is to earn a paycheck and have fun doing it.

A student’s interests are very noticeable at an early age. Keen observing by parents, teachers and counselors can help direct those interests toward continued education and workforce options. A balance of white collar and blue collar occupations makes the world go around, and each are equally as important as the other.

Leading to that point, some students will prefer and excel in math and/or science while other students will have higher scores and interest levels encompassing liberal arts fields of study. We all can help mentor the next generation in the pursuit of their dreams. No matter the industry or field, today’s young people are tomorrow’s leaders.

We as business leaders can help shape our future with instilling a valuable lesson: Do what you love, and love what you do. The responsibility of leadership roles that we currently serve calls upon us to help others. That’s what we do because we are one. We are the Rio Grande Valley.