“DROPOUT NATION 30% of America’s high school students will leave without graduating.” These words were emblazoned on the cover of a TIME magazine edition dated April 17, 2006, hinting at a crisis among America’s teens. Students are trained to conform and give in to the popular culture, to the point that they are expected to have sex, pierce and tattoo their bodies, and live without any significant responsibility until that magical time comes when they will suddenly be “an adult.” Most youth in America are trapped in a holding tank they don’t know how to escape.
Intended primarily for teens and parents, this book begins with a stinging indictment of the modern youth culture and the systems that foster it. Ultimately, however, this book is designed to teach and motivate young people to escape the holding tank by applying spiritual truths and practical instruction to their lives.
A strong emphasis is placed on spiritual matters, going so far as to say, “Apart from God, there is no good reason to live.” The premise is very much in line with Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life. Most of all, the mostly spiritual portion of the book drives home the point that every life has a specific purpose for which God created it, and inner significance is dependent on pursuing that purpose. Opening readers’ eyes to a “long view” of life, the book forces young people to think seriously about their future by examining concepts like commitment, vision, and direction. The first step to escaping the holding tank is developing an inner sense of life purpose, which is very rare in young people today.
A critical question posed in the book is, “What do you want?” The narcotic of “hope-ium” is used to describe the mentality of complacency and wishfulness, a devastating state of inaction and de-motivation. In contrast, understanding what God wants and deciding what you want in life produces purpose and foundational motivation for living exceptionally well. With analogies and stories drawn from my own experiences, as well as the lives of others, I show what it means to really want something.
After the question, “What do you want?” is answered, the next step is to commit to your future. At this point, the book takes on a less spiritual, more practical tone as it describes, in detail, how to make each day count toward getting what you want. First, a plan must be made. The book explains how to effectively set goals and plan to achieve them. Guidance is given to help readers recognize their “team.” Great emphasis is placed on having the right people around you to assist you accomplish your goals by supporting, directing, and helping.
Going beyond goal setting, the book delves into the concept of roadmaps, which are specific plans used to reach goals. Roadmaps include elements of time management and scheduling, as well as basic daily habits that need to be formed to maximize the potential of each day. Through telling stories and explaining how I scheduled my time before and all the way through law school, I provide motivational and empowering advice that readers will be able to apply to their own lives with small, easy steps. For example, I advise readers to put their daily schedules in writing and I provide a sample blank schedule form to help them visualize.
The natural progression from planning is to the actual doing, or what I call performance. This is where I give positive, practical advice for following through on goals and ambitions, drawing from my four years experience as a self-taught, distance learning law student. The book explains the vital importance of focus and visualization, and how the two habits interact to maintain motivation. The need for creating habits, and how readers can create them through discipline, is explained in thorough detail, with the underlying philosophy being that your daily routine defines your future. Principles learned and lived abound, such as, “Work hardest on the downhill slope,” a concept my dad learned while he was setting a Guinness World Record for pedaling across the Continental United States on a recumbent tricycle.
Continuing with the practical instruction, the book discusses real-life issues, such as boredom, recognition, and consistency. Measurement of progress is described as a tool for creating future success. Also told are some stories from my time completing my undergraduate degree while simultaneously studying law in graduate school. These stories highlight important information about how to look for and find necessary resources, the importance of showing up, and continually pushing yourself to get better, more efficient, and more effective.
Turning to character, the book discusses specific traits and takes the position that character must be attained to escape the holding tank, and can only be attained through practice and commitment. The traits discussed include integrity, responsibility, enthusiasm, and many others that I have found vital to success. Accountability plays a huge role in this discussion, as a person’s choice to hold themselves accountable can mean the difference between success and failure.
Following the character discussion, the book turns to how a young man or woman can create an image of difference in their life. This includes thoughts on self-acceptance, keeping a proper perspective on people’s opinions, and understanding the need to constantly improve. Fashion is also talked about, mostly as a tool to help readers think proactively about the image they want to portray, rather than blindly accepting the fads and fashions of their peers and culture. The importance of language is stressed, showing how the use of language reveals your character. I also believe charisma is not so much an innate quality as it is a skill that can be acquired by learning and practice. This is discussed near the end of the book.
Finally, in an ending “epilogue,” everything that was explained, discussed, and revealed in the book is brought together to draw attention back to the ultimate goal of the book, which is to motivate people to affect a lifestyle change in their hearts and minds. My belief is that everyone is created to be extraordinary, but only a few take advantage of even a small portion of their potential. This book will open people’s eyes to the reality that they are on earth for a purpose. That understanding of purpose will spawn an entirely new way of thinking, acting, and living. Choosing to live life in such a way that you escape the holding tank and get what you truly want is one of the most rewarding, satisfying and worthwhile decisions anyone could ever make!