Unless you're an avid follower of college basketball, staring at a blank bracket for the March Madness tournament is overwhelming.
The sheet looks glaringly bare — so many lines, so many options. There are more than 65,000 different combinations of teams that could make the Final Four. (Me, I'm just happy if my picks make the Sweet Sixteen!)
But the good news is there are abundant resources for any pool participant scratching her head. And with office bragging rights at stake, many take advantage of those resources, watching hours of ESPN, tuning into radio discussions, perusing sports blogs and swapping notes with friends and relatives.
I focus on this last piece, being such an extrovert. Invariably I see something in a new light having heard each new perspective. Those talks enable me to fill out my NCAA bracket with greater confidence. And they result in livelier banter as the unpredictable tournament unfolds.
The social context of March Madness is key to its fun. Likewise, the social context of discerning is key to its success. We need not make life choices alone. Rather, it behooves us to involve others.
But Americans aren't good at asking for help. We're raised in an individualistic culture. We don't want to be a burden. So we keep to ourselves and figure it out alone.
Recently, I spoke with a college student who had been making this mistake. Preparing for graduation, she was weighing some big career questions. She knew what she wanted, but she had a hazy understanding of the steps that would get her there.
Yet she had hesitated to ask her advisor for direction. She didn't want to be a nuisance, or to appear overly ambitious. So she followed her fuzzy calculations and rough ideas rather than his substantial experience and insider's knowledge.
Then one night his title struck her — advisor — and she typed him an email. He responded the next morning, sharing practical wisdom she never could've guessed up on her own. "What was I waiting for?" she thought.
My Congregation, the Adorers of the Blood of Christ (ASC) understand the important role of community in discerning one's life vocation. That's why we created a program called LifeChoices®. It pairs you up with a trained spiritual counselor to ensure that the big decisions you make are the right ones.
A one-on-one conversation with a trusted confidante can offer the fresh perspective that moves you forward from a stuck spot. You can ask our counselors: "What are you hearing? What small steps can I take to tackle this big decision?" In doing so, you'll be empowered to decide for yourself — not by yourself.
We may be a religious order, but we won't push you to any vocation. We sincerely want you to find the life that most fully draws on your God-given gifts. And we genuinely enjoy being part of the conversation.
Even the strong-willed stars of March Madness have a coach. You deserve one, too.
For information about LifeChoices®, contact Sr. Diana Rawlings at rawlingsd@adorers.org or 877-236-7377.
The Adorers of the Blood of Christ is an international congregation founded in Italy by St. Maria De Mattias. Some 1,850 Sisters now minister in 27 nations on all the continents in the areas of education, health care, spiritual development and social justice. Nearly 400 ASC sisters minister in 17 of the United States and in Korea, Bolivia, Guatemala and Rome, making it the largest of the international congregation's nine provinces. US Region headquarters are in St. Louis, Missouri.
