Zen and the Art of Johnny Bunko
by Antonio
At the beginning of this summer I picked up a copy of “The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need” by one of my favorite authors Dan Pink. I had the opportunity to see Dan speak at the 2008 NAIS Annual Conference in New York in February and during his keynote, he referenced a new book he was working on that would be coming out in the spring, a career guide of sorts, done in the style of a manga. Sounded interesting. It was originally part of my “summer” reading list and even though the book takes no more than an hour to read, I didn’t get to it until last week.
What appeals to me the most about the message in “Johnny Bunko” is the potential it has to help young people re-examine their priorities. As someone who works with young people daily, the opportunity to engage the next generation of leaders, creators, inventors and creative thinkers is a profound responsibility that few in this world have and the lessons that Johnny learns throughout the book are valuable to students as they embark on their own journeys. More importantly, Dan makes it clear that the advice adults give young people about life doesn’t necessarily apply anymore. As he said during his keynote, there was a time when falling back on a career as an attorney or an accountant could be seen as safe career choices. People are always going to need a lawyer or account right? Wrong, in the age of 123divorceme.com and TurboTax the advice our parents gave us about accounting and law and the rules around careers in general have changed.
A brief synopsis. Johnny Bunko is a young man who did what everybody around him told him too. Unfortunately, the advice he received from his parents, teachers, mentors and counselors didn’t really serve him very well and now Johnny finds himself “stuck at a dead-end job, and he’s begun to suspect that what he thought he knew is just plain wrong.” When seemingly out of no where, Johnny meets Diana, the most un-traditional and odd career advisor you would ever meet. Diana reveals/shares six essential lessons for thriving and succeeding in the professional world and in turn, reshapes Johnny’s view about his place in life and the method he uses to make the important decisions about his career path. The lessons in the book are simple and while Pink does not make any direct references to it, the book feels like it has a zen flavor to it. From the sushi restaurant where Johnny gets the magic chopsticks, to the way Diana meditates, to this reader, the connections became evident as I read through the story.
- There is no plan: No matter how hard you try and no matter what anyone tells you, there is no way to predefine or predetermine your path in life. It is impossible and impractical to map out your life. The world is in a constant state of change an if we try to anticipate that change we lose sight of the possibilities that the change itself can bring. Be present in the moment and recognize that each experience presents a unique opportunity, like the Dad who becomes a blogger.
- Think strengths, not weaknesses: Capitalize on what you are good at and steer away from areas that present challenges for you. Here Diana gets very zen on Johnny by introducing the concept of “flow” by telling Johnny he should focus on activities that create flow in him. “Flow is the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing, characterized by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity.” Like is said, very zen.
- It’s not about you: Focus outward in your work and NOT inward. Work toward bringing the best out in others, remember that your work is not about you. Your energy and effort should go toward the greater good not shameless self promotion.
- Persistence trumps talent: Compound interest is the most powerful force in the universe. According to Albert Einstein who makes a cameo in the book and helps Diana explain that the people who achieve the most are “often the ones who stick with it when others don’t.” Those of us in schools have most definitely found ourselves using this logic with students who are struggling or not achieving at a level they wish they were.
- Make excellent mistakes: Every time you make a mistake, it serves as an opportunity to learn and do something better. This doesn’t mean simple, ordinary kind of mistakes, but big, aspirational kind of mistakes. I have personally found myself the benefactor of this advice. I would rather have tried to do something big, something significant and failed than not tried to do anything at all.
- Leave an imprint: The final piece of advice seems to connect beautifully with my own mantra. Reshape the world, one creative idea at a time. Did you make a difference? Did you contribute to the greater good? I recall a conversation I had with a student early in my teaching career, he asked me why I would go into teaching when I could have done just about anything else. I told him I wanted to leave my thumbprint on his brain. Leave your thumbprint or as Diana suggests leave your imprint on this world.
“The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need” is simple, creative and provides a profound message for young people. It is a career guide that will not only serve those newly entering the work force but those who may find themselves, like Johnny a bit disillusioned by the advice they received back in the day. I recommend getting a copy.
Johnny Bunko trailer from DHP on Vimeo.
Photo Credit: cx1uk