All men are created equal, but all men don’t have equal resources when they are created. This inequity informs many of our purposes in that we either choose to SHARE or SECURE. Our purpose can be found by examining:
- What we DIDN’T HAVE that we think everyone should have in life & seeking to SECURE, and/or
- What we HAVE that we think everyone should have in life & seeking to SHARE
For many of us, our purpose has to do with serving people that remind us of ourselves. We’ve been where they are (Point A) but have advanced to where they want to be (Point B) and thus we are in a position to create value for them by sharing what we know about how to get from Point A to Point B.
My story is one of HAVING & SHARING. Growing up, I was raised by 9 families—the Ashes, Ikharos, Hopkins, Chambers, Browns, Shields, Primases, Kelleys, and Gordons. I wasn’t a foster child, but even with both parents presents, I literally had that village it takes to raise a child. I believe that this community is the primary reason I am who I am today. Had one of those families not been there, I’m not sure who or where I would be. They each served a purpose in helping me discover my purpose.
Since leaving my community in Oakland, my life has been committed to builidng community wherever I go. At UCLA, I built communities in the form of student groups and programs around goal-setting, financial literacy, and self-empowerment. At Stanford, I build community offline around food and online around passions. And now that I’m in New York, I’m building community as the CEO of the Department of Motivated Vehicles, through monthly potlucks, and goal setting groups.
Ask yourself “What did I HAVE or NOT HAVE that I think everyone should HAVE?” and in your answer, you may gain some clarity on your life purpose. Also check out my post on 50 Ways To Discover Your Purpose.
