Samantha Aker
About THE BOOKS AND THE AUTHOR
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Like many people I struggled to find my purpose in life until very recently. I've always had the support and opportunities to do anything I wanted, I just didn't know what that was! While my career has been meaningful and I certainly found fulfillment in parenthood, I never felt like I was firing on all cylinders the way people with real purpose do. Probably about 75 percent of you know exactly what I'm talking about!
When my oldest son, Logan, got close to graduating high school, everyone started asking him where he was going to go, what he was going to major in, what he wanted to be. My pride and excitement for him was soon tinged with a little bit of sadness as I saw in his face the feelings and questions I had when I was his age. What should I do next? What am I good at? What am I passionate about? What really matters to me?
Logan began looking externally for the answers to these very internal questions. Of course I could point out his talents and passions, because, well, I'm his mom. But the fact that he couldn't made me realize children and teens don't really have the opportunities or guidance to explore their gifts and interests and how they might use them to create a life of meaning and importance.
Like any good English major, my approach to helping Logan make his big decisions was to read anything I could find on figuring out what your purpose is. And believe me, there is a LOT to read on this topic. (Google "what is my purpose" and you'll get 1.8 billion results in .4 seconds.)
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Almost every resource I consulted (no, I didn't read all 1.8 billion) recommended thinking back to childhood, trying to remember what you loved to do and what you cared about before real life got in the way. It made me question why we don't remember these things and why parents don't make a note of them for us. That's how Catcher of the Light and Follow Your Light were born!
As I began creating these resources to help other parents recognize and record their child's "inner light," my own purpose revealed itself. Finally I feel I am using my talents and passions to make a meaningful difference in the world. And let me tell you, I have never been more motivated, productive, fired up, creative, proud, or fulfilled. That's the power of a life of purpose. That's what I wish for my children and for yours.
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My Background
I have a Bachelor’s Degree in English with a minor in Business and Technical Writing from the University of Delaware (so I can count the president of the United States as a fellow alum). I have more than 30 years of experience as a writer, editor, educator, and communicator. I taught high school English for several years, wrote and edited workbooks and other educational materials for the middle grades, and managed communications for a large healthcare system. I am also a certified career development counselor. I have three sons and a dog, whose purpose in life seems to be sitting on a pillow in the sun. (He took following the light quite literally.) We live in Haddonfield, New Jersey, where the world's first complete, intact dinosaur skeleton was found, and where the snowboard was invented (by a 7th grader following his passions).