BUILDING ON SOLID GROUND.

• Author: Lewis, T.W.
• Position: DOLLARS & SENSE

Before you can start winning, you have to stop losing. MY GENERATION had it a lot easier than today's youth. College tuition was pretty reasonable and, when we graduated, there were a lot of big corporations just waiting to hire and train us to do our jobs. There was a clear ladder for us to climb. We also did not have the distractions of the Internet, the ubiquitous cell phone, or social media, and our cultural values were pretty clear--faith, family, country, and hard work.

Now, though, navigating the journey to success in career and life is not so obvious. In fact, for many, it is downright scary. That is why close to 35% of college students currently take some form of anxiety medication and only 45% report they are thriving.

Having interviewed hundreds of high school seniors for college scholarships, and followed them through college and their early careers, I understand their concerns, anxieties, and fears. Trying to sort through your life choices while constantly being reminded by parents, teachers, and the popular media to "follow your dreams, do what you love, find your passion, and sell your personal brand" can be pretty mtimidating for a 20-year-old, or even a 30-year-old.

What young adults need today, probably more than ever, is a return to the fundamentals of building a proper life--one that is full of goodness, success, and happiness. To be successful in life, you have to put first things first, but today's popular culture has it backward. You cannot find your passion until you develop your work ethic. You cannot find your purpose until you discover who you are. You cannot find your happiness until you find your talent and help others--and you cannot find success until you earn it.

I am a builder, not a philosopher, but over the course of my career in homebuilding, I have learned to appreciate the importance of a good foundation--one that is built on solid ground. When I build a house with a good foundation, it allows the owner to thrive in it for decades with maximum enjoyment and minimal problems.

On the other hand, if I build a house with a bad foundation or on shifting soil, the foundation cracks eventually will extend damage to the framing, dry wall, and even the roof. These problems are expensive and sometimes impossible to repair, creating long-term hassles and heartaches for the owner. So it is with life.

In our media-driven, any thing-goes culture, we seem to be losing sight of the solid ground necessary for a successful life...