Do you ever feel like your options in life are extremely limited because you didn’t get a college education? Or maybe you didn’t graduate from high school? Lack of an education is an easy excuse to use as to why you are stuck in life, at a time in history when a degree seems to be required to do just about anything.
The whole “furthering your education” thing bothers me. I understand the importance of education. I understand that I want the doctors and nurses who performed my three c-sections to know exactly what they are doing. I understand that people like attorneys and accountants need to know the laws, regulations, and rules.
What I don’t understand is society putting such an emphasis on education that those without it can feel “less” than those with it. I don’t understand when a business puts more emphasis on hiring someone with education than with experience. I also don’t understand how society expects an 18 year old who hasn’t been exposed to much of the world to choose what they want to do for the rest of their life.
Do you know right off the top of my head the majority of the people I can think of with a college degree are not even employed in a job that is at all related to their degree. That’s crazy!
My husband is currently in the process of getting his bachelor’s degree and I couldn’t be more proud of him. It has been a long process, somewhat due to changing majors several times, but he is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I love that he is setting this example for our daughters. Between our immediate family (Grandparents, parents, and siblings) only one has completed college. I think that a degree can be a great thing for people and I am proud of my husband for showing them it can be done (even more than 10 years after graduating high school).
However, I am not of the belief that everyone needs to go or even should go to college. My husband started and successfully grew a business for five years before selling it to pursue others things without having a degree. My uncle has run a successful business almost right out of high school without a college degree. My dad and father-in-law have worked hard at jobs that have supported their families without having a college education.
I do not have a degree. I do love to learn. Will I have a degree someday? I’m not sure, it isn’t in the plans right now. Am I against getting one? No, if there is a real reason for it.
Do you let lack of an education hold you back from reaching your goals and working towards your dreams? If so, you need to determine why that is.
Is it because your goal requires a degree? If so, take action towards getting that degree. Dustin is working to get his degree while being married and having three children. While attending school he has started a business and worked hard to grow it and before that he worked a full time job while attending classes. Does that make it a lot harder than being fresh out of high school and moving in on campus? You bet! He has a lot of responsibility. Does it make it impossible? Not even a little if you are determined.
Or, do you let lack of an education hold you back mentally because you “feel” like you aren’t smart enough or educated enough to step out and succeed? If that’s the case, read on.
- Rachael Ray had no formal culinary education.
- John Mackey, founder of Whole Foods, actually dropped out of college twice. He never even took a business course.
- Walt Disney, I’m guessing you know who he is, never even finished high school!
- John Paul DeJoria, founder of Paul Mitchell products, did not attend college and had a teacher tell him he would “never succeed at anything”.
- Joel Osteen, preacher, has sermons televised in over 100 countries and did not graduate from college.
And there are a million more examples that most of you, I’m sure, have heard of: Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, Mark Twain, Bill Gates…
Then you have Steven Spielberg’s story. He was rejected twice from the film school he wanted to attend. 35 years after starting college, in 2002, he received his diploma. Did he need a diploma at this point? Nope, didn’t make an impact on his career.
Do you know the one thing that all of these people have in common other than less education than people might assume they would? They didn’t let the obstacles stop them and they didn’t use it as an excuse.
Does your dream require you to have an education? Get motivated, and work towards it. If you think you are too old to go back to school, check out this story.
If you don’t need a degree or aren’t at a place in life where going to school is possible, who cares! Get to work on what you can, get moving, and see where it takes you.
This verse helps motivate me:
“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13
When it all boils down, education doesn’t determine who we are in life, and it doesn’t determine what we are able to accomplish.
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