A young man revealed to me that he wanted a future of meaning and significance, but had no idea how to move forward. It seems he’d been stuck in a bit of a rut for the past few years and nothing he did seemed to make any sort of improvement.

Our conversation went something like this: He’d tell me about a difficulty. I’d respond with a suggestion. He’d tell me that sounded interesting and then would list a number of reasons why it wouldn’t work for him. It was as if I were having a conversation with two opposing personalities; one was looking for improvement and the other was trying to keep hope out of reach.

Later I wondered why I hadn’t been able to give him any worthwhile advice. A familiar feeling came over me, one that I’d felt many times as a consultant. A company would hire me, asking for a creative solution to a pressing problem, and would then proceed to shoot down every proposal. Ultimately they’d do more of what they’d done before, with minor adjustments. Those were frustrating projects.

Now I know that no one outside of yourself can take you anywhere you want to go. It’s like those trips I used to take where I’d get off the plane and find out “no transportation was provided” to my final destination. All of the important destinations in our life are like that. Someone else might be able to get us close, but we have to take those final steps on our own.

You can read all the best books, obtain the finest education, learn from the greatest mentors. But that’s only half of the journey. That’s the taking part of the equation. Once you’ve obtained something of worth then it’s time for the giving part. The real reward comes through contribution. That’s when personal growth occurs. That’s when wisdom enters in, when your heart is open to the needs and concerns of others.

I guess that young man had reached the point in his journey where no further transportation would be provided, not by anyone else regardless of intention or desire, until he took the next step on his own. There are times in our life when we are students and others where we are the teacher. Teachers show us a way to some future possibility. It’s up to the student to learn and then to put that knowledge to use.

At the end of each course of study every student should be handed a piece of paper with the words, “We’ve done our part. Now it’s up to you. No transportation provided.”