It’s that time of year when we eat too much cake and celebrate the education milestones of the young people in our lives. It’s definitely not the time of year to buy balloons (the wait was 3 days at my local party store!). As adults, we have important opportunities as we go to graduation ceremonies and parties. Like many times of transition it's natural to ask what's next, but rather than asking where they are going to college or what they have lined up, here are some ways to have a different kind of conversation over your next slice of graduation cake:  

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• Ask about sparks. Peter Benson’s ted talk (at the bottom of this post) is a great one if you don’t know about sparks or need a refresher. Ask about what excites them. What gets them out of bed in the morning? What can’t they wait to do more of? Sparks help us do better and be better in all aspects of our lives, and ultimately they’re more important than the summer job or college.

• Young people could always use a spark champion, so express interest and take the time to find out more. Are you also a reader? Schedule time for a coffee shop book chat. Love playing soccer too? Kick around the ball together. Find ways to encourage what it is that brings a sparkle to the eye of the young people in your life.

• Sparks aren’t just for young people. It’s great to ask adults about their sparks too. After a workshop a few years ago, a 65 year old custodian shared that before that day he had never been asked about his spark before.

• Our sparks keep us going during hard times, and the more we can leverage them, sparks are important tools for resilience and well-being. What if, instead of asking each other what we do for a job, we started asking what our sparks are? How might that change mindsets and perspectives?

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Cake might be your spark - with so many baking shows to watch, it’s definitely somebody’s spark! Use the opportunity over a delicious piece to make a connection and a difference.