Welcome And Why Advice Is Outdated

Fatima Bey 0:02

MindShift Power Podcast. This is Mind Shift Power Podcast, the number one critically acclaimed podcast where we have raw, unfiltered conversations that shape tomorrow. I'm your host, Fatima Bay, the Mind Shifter. And welcome everyone. Today we have with us Leah C. Murphy. She is out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the USA. She is the CEO of Career Gems for the Journey. And she's here today because teens and young adults are often given outdated advice by people who enter the workforce in a different world. Leah specializes in helping people prepare for success today. So in this episode, uh it's for teens and adults, parents, counselors, advisors. You need to listen to this too. So how are you doing today, Leah Leah? I'm doing okay. I'm excited to be here. I'm glad to have you here. Um, you are a powerhouse woman, and I absolutely love that about you. And so you're just the right person to have this conversation with. Thank you. So I like to dive right in.

You Are Not Your Job

Fatima Bey 1:10

What do teens need to understand about the world they're entering that adults almost never tell them?

Leah C. Murphy 1:17

I think um the most important, and I'm and I'll give you the context for me. I get to work with professionals and develop programs for young people. Um, and then I have a young person that I'm responsible for that I am uh parenting and shepherding through the world. So when I think about um something that adults maybe don't share with young people, is that work will be a part of life. How you choose to work, how you choose to show up in your in the way that you earn money is going to be up to you. And early on, it's really important for people to feel like their identity, who they are, what's important to them in the world is completely separate from the way that they make money. And I think sometimes we um tie up identity and like career, like, you know, that person is a doctor, that person is an engineer, that person is a podcaster. No, that person is Fatima, and then she happens to be a podcaster or use podcasting as a way to grow her business or to make money. And sometimes I think that identity mix-up is where a lot of people get caught up. So maintaining who you are as a person, your interests, your joys, the things that you're passionate about and protecting those things, your hobbies and your relationships, and then letting work be work is something that I feel like we don't really explain to young people. Um, and you can still be very much successful in who you are, even if work is not going well, even if work is not perfect, even if you hate your job and you want to quit it, that doesn't mean you're a bad person. That doesn't mean anything is wrong with you. And I think giving young people that freedom to understand that is something that's really important.

Fatima Bey 2:52

I think you have a very valid point that people don't really think about it. And I I've talked about this before too. I think when we look at famous people, they're excellent examples of this. I'm a famous actor, I'm a famous uh singer, entertainer, whatever. What if that what if that's gone? What if you lose your voice? What if you you can't model anymore because you've got some disfigurement?

Leah C. Murphy 3:12

Who are you? Exactly. Exactly. And I think that idea of that idea of identity is something that feels like we assume that people will learn on their own. And there are many adults that don't really have a clear foundation of this is who I am and this is what I do. Uh, because a lot of us believe that what you do is a you know big part of your identity. And I think that can be a trap, right, to your point. If you lose that thing, does your identity get shaken? Can you not figure out how to navigate the world if this one unique thing that you might do goes away? So when young people are thinking about what they want to study or what trade they want to take up or what, you know, branch of the armed forces they may be considering and all of those variables, all of those things can be great for a moment, but they can also fail. And they can also, you know, um, change or companies can go under, people can get fired, people can get let go, you can have a bad manager. There's so many things that are wrapped up in that that can change that are outside of your control. And I think that separating yourself from what you do is really important so that you don't lose yourself. Um, because you are the most important thing that you'll ever be able to pour into and invest in. Um, and you know, a job is a job, it's a way to support yourself.

Family Pressure And Choosing Your Path

Fatima Bey 4:26

Yes. Knowing who you are outside of a position or title is what I'm hearing. Yeah, for sure. And and what do you have to say to the the youth who have parents, maybe even grandparents, you know, people who are uh important in their lives, who feel like you should be a doctor, you need to be a politician, you need to be uh this parti this whatever, a lawyer, whatever it is, whatever the position is, and who without saying those words directly, basically tell them you're worthless unless you have a high title or position. Because there are youth who are growing up in households like that. What do you say to them?

Leah C. Murphy 5:06

I think um the first thing that I'll say is I hope that these adults that are um that are raising you or that are influencing you, I hope that they are well intended. Um, I hope that their intention is to really push you to be ambitious and push you to discover all the parts of yourself, to leverage your own curiosity, but then to be able to support yourself in the world. I hope that that's their intention because that's what I can, you know, dig through after hearing adults speak that way. But on the other hand, it is really important that you as a young person begin to extract yourself from the expectations of the people who surround you. And that takes a long time because you depend on them financially, maybe, or you depend on them for somewhere to live, or you depend on them for their praise and adoration. And maybe we just, you know, want to be in close connection and community with those people. So their intentions hopefully are to make sure that you can support yourself and be a great citizen of the world and how they convey that might be musty, right? It might be old in a way that is non-conforming to the way that you see things, right? So I think being able to be in dialogue with people and try to ask questions and be curious about what their motivations are. Why is being a politician or being a doctor so important to you? Is it because of the prestige? Is it being because of the status? Is it because of the money? Because you can get all of what you're hoping to accomplish in a number of different ways. But maybe two generations ago, there was only one or two ways to get sustainable income, to get access to resources, and that was to become a doctor, a lawyer, or an engineer. Now the world is so different. The, you know, things have transformed. Access to the internet, um, curiosity, collaboration around the world just has created brand new opportunities that just didn't exist maybe a generation or two even ago. So if you can get curious with them to better understand what their motivation is, then you might still be able to get to the outcome successfully and keep the relationship with the person that you love and care about. Um, but you can still do it in a way that feels honest to you, right? Feels like you actually care about it. Because you could decide that you want to be an international journalist and you travel all over the world and you love that, and it still gives you something that your family members are proud of, but they couldn't have imagined it, right? It just wasn't in their imagination. That wasn't a real job, maybe, you know, two generations ago. Or even if I think about, you know, some of the ones that are probably easier influencers, streamers, like brand partnership, you know, activation leaders, all of those things. Again, these are very recent developments. So you're if you're asking your grandparent, what job should I have, they don't have the context that you're living in. So I think try to extract and like try to ask them what their intentions are, what they hope you accomplish and what they want for you, for your safety, for your well-being, you know, for your life, for your joy and for your financial stability. And then you can figure out a career path that satisfies you and also gives those things to you. Because you want those things too, right? You want to find joy, you want to enjoy, you want to find um financial stability, you want to be able to support yourself, you want to be able to live independently. But the way you go about it, that's not linear. And there's so many ways to do it. And I think open using your curiosity and using all of the resources that you have at your disposal will get you to a place that makes you feel good about your choices.

Fatima Bey 8:34

Absolutely. I love what you say, uh, what you say about um, and I feel it's a deeper answer, um, what you just gave about communicating with your parents, find out what their intention is, because I do find that most of the time the parent, the the parent is living in yesterday thinking that this is the only way you can have success. Yeah. And their intentions are for you to be successful and they want you to be successful. There are those whose intentions they want you to be successful because you represent them and they care more about their ego and their status than you. There, that's true too. That's very true. I that can be the truth sometimes, but I I think most of the time that it's the firm it's the first. It's you know, a parent who actually cares. Um, that's a very that's a very valid point. Try to communicate, and your parent might be annoying, and you might be like, Oh, I can't talk to them. I could think the whole time, you know who I'm thinking about? This young girl I knew, highly intelligent. Um, her father is a doctor. His whole thing is you gotta be a doctor because he's a doctor. And that's not what she wants to do. She wants to get into science, it's just not the same way he did. And she has found a way to little by little, and it has to be little by little, you know, for him to ease back on him be her being exactly what he wants her to be so that she can pursue what she wants. And last time I talked to her, she was only 14 doing this. So I thought that that was really excellent. But she is not the only one. She's just, you know, an example. Um, but yeah, I wanted, I wanted that to come from you for the the young people out there right now who are listening, who are living in that situation, because I know there are plenty. Um, and they're not, you know, this is international. They're not all in the US. There's all over the world, places where education is considered very important. So

Skills That Beat Grades In Work

Fatima Bey 10:20

let me ask you this. What can a teen start doing today that will matter more than grades or a diploma when they get into the workforce?

Leah C. Murphy 10:28

I think when um when you say grades a diploma, it always kind of goes back to what a traditional, you know, educational path is. And I think we're realizing now more than ever that a traditional educational path is, it doesn't exist. There's no uniform, there's no normal. And I'm doing air quotes here. There's no normal because um there's so there's such a disruption in the global market and in the economies, in the countries that we are, you know, recording from. So I think this idea that there's one way to do things right doesn't exist. But the things, the skill sets and the competencies that are going to be necessary from all of our research is to remain adaptable, right? Like be in a place where you can navigate change easily. Be in a, you know, in a headspace where if you have to take a new job, if you have to, if you switch managers, if you have to, you know, go from being a skilled trade into, you know, working into a nonprofit, this idea that you can be adaptable to the moment so that you can be able to navigate your life without feeling like you are paralyzed or unable to adjust to the situation that you're in. Generations ago, there was this idea that you may take, you may have the same job, maybe even at the same company for 20, 30 years. In today's economy, and now when we're looking at, you know, Gen Z, Gen Alpha coming into the workplace, now the average tenure in a company or in a role can be as little as three years. So this idea that you may change jobs, even if you work for a big company, or you may have to change companies multiple times throughout your career, maybe anywhere between 12 and 16 times, to me, it puts a lot of emphasis on you being able to be adaptable and to navigate change as seamlessly as possible. Now, when you're navigating change, that's going to require you to lead with curiosity. So I think this idea of just being able to be inquisitive and try to figure out why things are the way they are or how you can uh navigate a situation, not coming in with this like very restrictive, very rigid, well, this was supposed to happen by this day and it didn't. So now, you know, whatever bond or whatever contract is broken. It's this idea of adaptability, curiosity, and then being able to be really clear on what you need to get results at your job. So I'll give you an example. If you work for a company, and I, you know, I love to talk about skill trades because I think it's something that gets under-discussed. Um, but if you work for a company in a skilled trade, and maybe you're a um maybe you're a mechanic, and at the company that you work for, there is a certain amount of um data that they're using to measure if the company is doing well. So maybe it's, you know, we have to be able to change 12 tires right a day in order to get to this place making money so that I can pay you, right? Because that's really what it comes down to. If your business is making money, then they should have the ability to compensate you for your skills and for your time. So if 12 tires is the number, then that's the result that you are working towards on a consistent basis and getting clear on what is the result that I need to produce in order to get the compensation that I'm looking for, because that's really the agreement you have with your employer. They, the company makes money, and as a result of them making money, you guys have an agreement that they will give you some amount of money as a result of you contributing something to them making money. So I think that's an exchange that a lot of people don't understand in business, or a lot of young people kind of interpret umselves as disconnected from the way the business makes money. The more you know about how the business makes money and how you can contribute to it, the better off you are in figuring out new ways for you to earn more and new ways for you to decide if staying at this job or this assignment or this company makes sense for you, or if making a transition is better, because you can take those skills that you have to make more money somewhere else. And I think the other part and the final thing I'll say on this one is think about yourself as a free agent. And we think about, you know, this is a sports analogy. If you are an athlete and it is an opportunity for you to sign a contract and commit to whatever team you want to commit to, you're thinking about yourself as someone who is individualized, separate from any company. And if you are only focusing on what do I need to do to make sure that Fatima is successful, then you're a free agent. And then you can give your talents temporarily to any company, to any organization. And then when you decide, okay, that's enough, or it's no longer good for me, is no longer good for the company, I don't like how they're moving here, then you're a free agent again and you take on a new opportunity. But if you manage your career like you're a free agent, it gives you a chance to look at things, not as a long-term commitment or relationship, but more as as long as it works for both of us, I can stay. And then when it doesn't, it's time for me to move on. You know what?

Future Careers And Skilled Trades

Fatima Bey 15:23

Let's let's take that a little bit deeper. You just said a moment ago that all right, trades is a good example, actually. So, you know, as we said earlier, a lot of times uh parents are or just adults in general, are giving our teens and and youth just outdated advice because they genuinely don't realize that our youth are growing up in an absolutely, completely different world than they did. The world that you and I grew up in, that all their parents grew up in, it is gone. It is gone, it's in the ground, it ain't coming back. So for the youth that are in high school right now, what does the future look like for them? As far as careers, what does it look like for them?

Leah C. Murphy 16:05

I think the future looks like a constant stream of learning. I think the idea of getting a ch getting deep into your own, the way that you learn, the way that you can teach yourself or absorb new information. Maybe you're a visual learner, maybe you're an audio learner. So really hacking yourself to figure out how do you learn best, right? And that's something, that's a gift that you'll have to give yourself over and over again. Every time you start a new job, you have to learn what those requirements are. Every time you decide whether or not you want to go back into school or a certification program, you have to figure out the way that you learn so that you can take in information and then use it for some purpose. So I think that's something that oftentimes doesn't get taught to us. How do I learn? How do I retain information? What are the ways in which I can reapply that information? And then that's something that's going to be unique to you. And I think now we're, you know, able to give people acknowledgement more than we have in the past around maybe you have a nuance in the way that you learn that's unique to you. That's just fine. But it's up to you to figure that out the way that you can learn and adapt and to work with the people around you to really just master yourself. And I think that level of self-awareness is really critical as folks are going into the workforce. But to answer your question more intently is there will be entry-level jobs that will be available, I think, in some industries for years and years and years to come, right? I think there's parts of, and when I think about the overall economy, it comes in sectors. So a sector may be, maybe it's in healthcare. Um, and healthcare may look like, you know, doctors and nurses, but it also looks like um certified nurses' assistants. It also looks like um data management and information management individuals. So you have a lot of, there's a wide range from technology all the way through to people who are actually saving lives and helping people at the bedside. Healthcare is still very much a growing and in-need industry across entry-level roles, all the way up through doctors. They're actually experiencing a lot of loss in that industry and people leaving the industry because of a number of reasons, right? Post-COVID was one of them. You know, the COVID pandemic did a real number on healthcare professionals, and a lot of them left the profession. Um, and then you're also seeing a change uh at the federal level in regulations and in um the CDC and also in in drugs and immunization. So there's all these things that are still happening in healthcare, is very much still attractive and needs entry-level people who are willing to go into a lot of those fields. So that's an industry that's thriving. An industry that's not thriving, that's not doing as well, maybe is this idea of computer scientists in the rise of AI. So there was a period of time where, you know, every sector might be growing, but that sector is not growing. So if you're in high school now and you're thinking about what do I want to do when I get out of high school, do I want to consider going into higher education or do I want to consider going into a skilled trade? I think you should evaluate it based on what you can see as entry-level job openings and opportunities in that field. I think there's a lot of love and passion where, you know, we encourage people maybe to pursue their dreams and do what you love. And I think you can absolutely do what you love, but I don't think you have to make money doing what you love. So if you love to dance, you love to sing, you should go and dance and sing and then figure out a different way to be able to make money. I think you protect the dancing and singing and the passion points as your hobbies, as the therapeutic exercises that you do to be in community and to make friends and to laugh and be able to hang out, because that's important in order to just be a healthy person. And then, you know, maybe you're working as a research scientist, or maybe you're working as a data management um clerk, or maybe you're working in a different capacity. So just back to this identity separation where what you do does not have to be tied to your identity and you don't have to make money doing the things that you love. I kind of want to deter young people from thinking they have to monetize everything immediately, because I think as soon as you monetize something you love, it kind of dims it a little bit. You don't enjoy it nearly as much because now it has to make you money. So I think entry-level rules will exist. Um, I think skill trades are making a huge resurgence. And I think there's a couple that are like a little bit more under the radar, and I'd love to share those with your audience. If you um think about skill trades like being a home inspector, it's something that, you know, when somebody's buying a new property, they are going to hire a home inspector to basically walk through and make sure that it's all good before they sign the contract. And that's very much an in-demand skill that that a lot of young people don't know, but you can get training on that and you can start working really quickly. If you want to learn how to be, um you want to learn how to be a plumber. Uh, we have lots of people who we work with directly who are company owners who can't find enough plumbers. They can't find enough carpenters, for example. So those are skilled trades and they then they still have in a lot of states and cities union protections. So it makes a lot of sense in circumstances to build that trade and to start working in the trade. It doesn't mean that's the only job you'll have, and it doesn't mean you'll do it permanently. But if you're thinking about where you're gonna be able to get hired and have sustainable income very early on uh after high school or even after you finish college, there are areas where that can happen. And that's what I'd love to continue to support you young people in figuring out what makes sense for me based on the skills that I have and based on what I'm willing, you know, to do. And sometimes that's just a short term plan. Maybe that's two to three years. And then three to five years later, you want to do something completely different. That's great. Both You know, two things can be true that this short term opportunity is really good for you and you needed it to build your financial stability. And then you decide that you want to do something different three years later. Fantastic.

Fatima Bey 22:11

Yeah, I push that all the time on here. Um career, because this is about youth and and the future, careers is something that I'm I've talked about a lot because it it's relevant to the future, obviously. But that is something that a lot of people don't realize. And I think sometimes because older generations thought differently, um, and we're the ones that are influenced, you know, talking to the younger generations, you don't have to do one thing your whole life. Some of you will. I know someone that in high school, she loved accounting. She said, I want to do accounting. And to this day, she's in her 50s, she's still doing accounting and still likes it. She's been doing one thing her whole life. She knew in high school, she knew in middle school actually, what she wanted to do and she's been doing ever since. But to be honest with you, that's a rarity. Right. And I mean, that's brilliant.

Leah C. Murphy 22:56

That's so good for her. And I'm glad she found that. But the the our company is called Career Jumps for the Journey because everybody is on their own unique individual journey. So there's no carbon copy or copy and paste that you can take from someone else's career or someone else's job choice and then apply it to you because you're a unique individual. But and you also have the benefit of choice. So I'm hoping that many, you know, young people feel like they can exercise the benefits of choice because there are a lot more options available to them for career pursuits than were to previous generations. Oh, absolutely.

Fatima Bey 23:30

And here's the thing going back to what I said in the beginning, the the old, you know, older generation, which are our age, the parent, the age of the parents of our youth, we went in, we operated in a different world. And the thing is, a lot of us are coming at the youth will things are different now. But if you're 14 or 18, things are different now does not mean a word because I never experienced the world you live you lived in. I only know this world right now. Right. You know, and that's so that's why I asked you that. Like, what can, you

Monetizing Passion Without Losing Joy

Fatima Bey 24:00

know, what does it look like for them now? Not what it used to look like, not comparing just where we're headed now. I did want to use, um, I do want to touch on a point because I I am I'm a coach. And as a coach, um, in some respects, some would say I have an opposite view of you when it comes to your your what you have a passion for and what you do for work. I think that both are true. I think that when I say both, I believe in um making money off of what you're gifted with. But I also understand that that doesn't work for everyone. And a prime example, uh, and for some people, they do absolutely need to be separate, but also depends on what the skill is. Um for I will give you this example for the the listeners, because you understand this, but for the listeners, they really kind of drive the the point home a little harder. I'm a salsa dancer. And when I say I'm a salsa dancer, I mean I am a salcera para siempre. I am a dancer forever. And I will always be a salsa dancer. I will probably dance salsa before I die. So, like in my grave, I might be doing some moves. So, as a dancer though, I I'm I've been a hardcore dancer, meaning I've gone to conferences, and I don't know if you know this, but they have what they call congresses or festivals. They're conferences where dancers go, we dance all night long. Uh, there's performances, there's classes and workshops. It's a whole experience weekend. They are amazing. I haven't been to one in a while. But when you when you deal with dancers, something that I have personally seen, because I have danced with professionals, I've done um well a few small performances myself, and I've gone to these socials and I've gone dancing everywhere. One thing I have learned from being around them is there is people have a love and a dance love for for dance, whether it's salatsa bachata or swing, whatever your dance is. But once you begin performing it, it is a completely different avenue. When you have to go across the world and go to all these conferences and try to make money at it, it is very difficult and it's very painstaking and it's very, very, very hard. Some people have seen this, they don't want that. I'm one of them. I don't ever want to be a professional dancer. I love the dance itself. I love the music, I have a passion for it. But if you ask me to start performing, I'm very capable of it. I would have to go through training like everybody else and get good at it, but it would ruin it for me. Because what I love about salsa is the fact that I can work hard and I can go dancing later and I can dance my behind off. I'm free, there's no problems. It's a stress reliever. It is beautiful, it is wonderful, but it's separate from my work. And that is the reason I can still enjoy salsa because I never took it to a professional level. Now, there are people who still love it and you took it to a professional level. There's nothing wrong with that, and I'm happy for those people. But they're not the same thing. We're not all the same.

Leah C. Murphy 27:01

Exactly. I think there was a lot of pressure. There is a lot of pressure in some way to monetize everything. And I just and I and maybe this is, you know, just a social media narrative, right? This is what we're seeing on Instagram and TikTok and on all the other platforms that have not played paid us to say their name. But that this is what you know, a lot of you know, young people are seeing, right? How how do you monetize your side hustle and you know this idea of everything has to make you money? I'm here for making multiple different revenue streams. But I also think um I've spent a lot of time with young people who feel trapped in some ways by, you know, something that they once enjoyed. And then now when you have to monetize it, if you, you know, using your salsa dance example, if you get injured, now you're worried about, you know, is there anything else that I could possibly do? And am I in a rush to get back on the dance floor because I've this injury can't hold me back. I can't afford it financially. So then it begins to create these other layers of complexity potentially in your life. So that's what I was kind of just trying to make sure folks had a chance to evaluate. There are things that will make you money, and you know, maybe that means you work for someone else, maybe that means you work for yourself. But then if there's something that you enjoy, it does not necessarily have to be monetized because there is a therapeutic benefit of just having things that you enjoy that you're a novice at that you just do because you like the vibe. The energy feels good. It feels very therapeutic. Your friends are there, you get to laugh. I think, I think as we mature, and I'm doing air quotes for mature, as you get older, the things that are just done for the sake of joy, for the sake of play, for the sake of fun get smaller and smaller. So I want to encourage folks to like create a balance. Go have things that you can monetize and make you money, but also go have things that are just for the fun of it, for the pure enjoyment.

Fatima Bey 28:44

Right. And that's the reason why someone's gonna be passionate about one thing that you're not passionate about. Don't get mad at them because they don't have the same passion. Guess what? We're not all supposed to have the same passion, you know? And it's, I mean, you, Leah, you have a very clear um understanding of career goals, which it's not just clear that you have an understanding, you're intelligent, sure. But you have a passion, and we can hear that. And that's partly why I have that on it. And I love it. Not everybody's gonna have the same passion as you. Somebody might be given career advice and it might be their job, uh, but they're not gonna do it the same way you do because they don't have a passion for seeing people get in the right place and doing the right things for themselves, though, you know, the same way anyway, that you do. But that doesn't make that person bad. And I'm saying that not for you and I, because we already understand this, but for the listeners, for the young people that are listening right now, don't compare yourself to everyone else's passions. We're not all the same. We're not supposed to be the same. If we were all the same, then we'd be living in the Stepford child, Stepford wives world, yuck, right? We're not supposed to exactly part of what makes part of what makes a good dish good is the mixture. If you want jambalaya, if you want beans and rice, if you want paella, if you want lasagna, that's all a mixture of different great ingredients, right? That's what makes things I'm getting hungry. So that's what makes right, that's what makes a dish good. Whatever you, whatever soup you like, stew, rice and beans, whatever you like, it's always because there is a mixture of things, and that's what makes the salad beautiful, is the mixture. I love salad. You're going deep with this food analogy, you're making me hungry too. I'm an analogy queen. I can't help it. But there's, you know, there, there, there's a beauty in having a mixture of things, and I'm saying that because way too many of our youth are put under pressure by others, mostly adults or society, or sometimes Instagram, around them that they have to assimilate and be. We all have to be, we all have to like the same thing. We all have to be like each other. No, you don't. Part of the beauty of life is not, is me and you not being the same. You like Leah, Leah, you and I are both very strong black women, right? We're both very strong black women. We we have passions, we love helping people, but we are so different on so many other levels.

Leah C. Murphy 31:10

So And I think, I think the best thing that you can do in using that example as a young person is to be willing to try out different kinds of environments until you find one that feels like it fits well for you.

Friends And Environments Shape Your Future

Leah C. Murphy 31:23

So whether that is jobs, whether that's career paths, whether that is trades, keep trying things and trying to, you know, evaluate for yourself. Does it fit for me? Is it something that I can do on a day-to-day basis? And I think that same thing about community too and friend groups. And that is something that, you know, young people spend a lot of time with your friends. And sometimes there's a misalignment or sometimes, you know, it can start to feel off and doesn't fit. That's why I think the my earlier advice around hacking yourself and getting a real like clear impression of what you love, what you're motivated by, the kinds of things you like to do, the kinds of people you want to be around, then your identity can be fully shaped. And then you can take that identity wherever you go into any place and environment and add to that environment, right? Because every room should be better because you're in it. That's what I believe. And then if the environment is not one you want to be in and you're like, uh-oh, this doesn't work. My this doesn't fit for me, it doesn't feel right. I can exit and that and I'll still be fine. Um, and that's something that I love to just reinforce for folks over and over again. You'll find your thing, you'll find your people. It may not be immediate, so just that persistence to get closer to the thing that you're supposed to be, your own destiny, is something that all of us need to be reinforced on. So I hope young people feel encouraged to think about it that way.

Fatima Bey 32:44

Yes, I I love that advice. And I was gonna ask you if you had um any advice for the teens listening right now, but I think you just gave it, and I don't think you can top that. Or we probably could, but I think you just gave it because what you said was uh just so important. Our surroundings are key, absolutely key. And here's a thing that people don't think about. And I just want you to comment on this one last thing and then we'll go. Piggybacking on what you just said, if who we surround ourselves with is very important to not just what we're experiencing now, but what we're building for the future. Does who we're around right now have any effect whatsoever on our future goals or career?

Leah C. Murphy 33:28

I think that who we are right now does have an effect on our future. Um, and I'll say it in in two parts. The first part is who we are who we are around, like the actual people is one part of it, but the environments we put ourselves in is the other side. And when I say the environments, it's like, you know, are we consistently, you know, feeding ourselves good information? Are we listening to podcasts like this one that motivates us? Are we continuing to actually read books, like tangible books that we can hold in our hand and turn pages? Are we continuing to enrich ourselves and to learn and to grow? I think that's more of the environment side, environment side of it. And in a lot of ways, not over-relying on devices. And I know I'm gonna get canceled for this, right? Because young people are like, well, what's your problem? Right, what's your problem with phones? Can't nobody cancel you, Leah. Go ahead. I don't have any problems with phones or screens. I think that they should be a component of your life and of your social system, but I think they should be one of the components, right? So I think whether it's a a group or a nonprofit that you join or organization that you're a part of, or a sport that you play, or a library that you visit on a regular basis, or you know, a book club that you choose to read, these other things that just enrich who you are. They make you more interesting as a person and they also expose you to a wider variety of people. So you don't stay feeling like you can't grow and you can't evolve. So, to your point about your friends and who you're around, your friends will really help to paint the world outside of your conversation. So when I think about young people, you know, especially, you know, young people who are in that high school range, if you're spending a lot of time around people who are gossiping or people who may be negative or people who lack ambition and they kind of are, you know, figuring out what they want to do, but they are, you know, they're critiquing you or they're trying to change your mind, that will impact the way that you see yourself. And it may impact the risk that you're willing to take. So being around other people who are um, who are curious, who are working to, you know, grow and learn and develop, who are looking for opportunities and kind of use their ambition and access to try new things, even if they don't go perfectly, those people will then by osmosis help to influence you to do the same. And then also just friends and loved ones who are cheering for you, who want to see you be successful, who, if you say, I want to get this job or I want to get this scholarship or I want to apply to go on this um trip because there's a program, if I I want to do that, and their response is, oh my gosh, I think that would be so cool. I could totally see you doing that, or you know, do you need help? Now, those are people who want to see you grow and thrive. They want to see you expand past who you are today. People who are not in your best interest or may say, Well, why do you want to do all that? Or you're thirsty, or you're so hype, or why do you need to do, you know, what's why can't you just stay where you are? Those people have already decided that they have a limited mindset. And I don't want you to adopt into that. It doesn't mean you have to throw those people away, right? Because sometimes we love them, we have a connection. It doesn't mean that we don't want to be their friends. It means we need to broaden our circle or change the environment and the people that we're in to really be able to feed ourselves more messaging that's going to help us be uh growth-minded and really ambitious. So that's when it comes to those clubs, the sports, the books you're reading, the podcasts you're listening to, what are you feeding yourself environmentally that's kind of setting your ambition on fire or like creating you, creating an opportunity for you to really look forward to what's to come for your life? Well, Leah, um, how can people find

Where To Find Leah Plus Purpose Questions

Leah C. Murphy 37:16

you? You can find me on um Instagram. Uh we are Career Gems for the Journey, all one word. C-A-R-E-E-R, G E M S F O R T H E J O U R N E Y. That's long. Um, you know, hopefully you'll drop that in the show notes for folks on Instagram. For young people who are also on LinkedIn, we're Career Gems for the Journey on LinkedIn. But you can find me on my personal page. Um, I am Leah Murphy underscore career gems on Instagram. We have a podcast, the Career Gems for the Journey podcast. If you're interested and you want to kind of learn a little bit more, dip your toe into more of the work that we're doing, you can find us there for that. Um, and then you can head over to our website if you want all the information. You want the one-stop shop for all things career gems for the journey. You can find us at gemsfortheurney.org. That's gemsfortheurney.org. And that will give you all the information, access to our podcast, to our newsletter, to the books that we um have published, to events that we host in person in Philadelphia, to book clubs and you know, great conversation. Um, lots of things available on our website at gemsfortheurney.org. And Leah, you help people of all ages, correct? I do. I do. We actually have a um a young gems program where we have uh young people who come and volunteer at some of our um more experienced professional development events. So it gives you an opportunity to be in the room with other individuals that may be able to inspire you or may even be able to mentor you and support you on your career journey. So much of what I'm noticing for young people is this idea of representation. You know, there's this concept of I I've never seen it or I don't know anything about it. So how do I know how to be able to pursue it? So our young gems are actually from the age of 14 to 20, and we give them the opportunity to join us in person at the Career and Care Summit as a volunteer, and then we make introductions for folks in industries where they are interested and they get to sit in and hear those folks, you know, talk. And, you know, maybe if they're fortunate, that introduction takes them into a deeper relationship. So, yes, we always want to encourage the next generation of young people and leaders to be thinking about what they want to do and how they want to pursue in career, but we also want to make sure that we give them some tools and resources to be able to get them there.

Fatima Bey 39:31

And I love the name young gems. I love that. Well, thank you so much, Leah, for coming on. We really appreciate it. And all of that information will be on uh the episode page. So in the description, you'll see it. Leah, I could talk to you about 16 more hours, but we don't have that kind of time. So we're gonna end now. But it's been amazing talking to you. Um, and I look forward to talking to you again. Same. Okay, thank you so much. And now for a mind-shifting moment, I have a question for you. And this question is for both adults and youth listening, anyone listening right now, no matter where you are in the world, something that this entire conversation sits on is purpose. What is your purpose? Do you know? Should your purpose be married to your wallet, to your career? Or is it separate and you should have a job while you work on that purpose and enjoy it? The truth is you can do both. But my question to you is which one is it for you? For adults listening, have you thought about that? Are you working a job you absolutely hate while your passion sits behind and you could actually make money at it? Or do you now hate what you once loved because you decided to make money at it? It's just something I want you to think about. And for the all the youth listening right now, you have an opportunity because you're younger, to make even more decisions. Which route do you want to go? And the truth is it's not exactly right or exactly wrong which one you choose. It depends on you. It's a decision. But I do want you to think about this. What do you love? What do you absolutely love? Forget about money, forget about work. What do you love? And then decide whether or not that should be work or on the side while you do something else to pay the bills. Because both avenues work, but they just don't always work for the same people. I asked you that question because it's for you to answer. I want you to think about it. You've been listening to MindShift Power Podcast for complete show notes on this episode, and to join our global movement, find us at FatimaBey.com. Until next time, always remember there's power in shifting your thinking.