Today I want to write about something that is very personal and important to me. One of the reasons I so love working with the age group 12-25 years old is because of a personal experience I had. As I started my senior year in high school, I started to feel panicked. I knew I wanted to go to college. I knew I needed four more years to figure out what to do with myself! I see so many people who take a job because they need the money and soon they are doing less and less of what they love. They did not seem very happy.

Per the Encarta World English Dictionary, the definition of “Purpose” is: the reason for existence. As I was rolling tacos I can tell you I certainly didn’t feel I was fulfilling my reason for existence. I wasn’t quite sure what my reason for existence was.

Up until that point I knew my role in the world. I was the second daughter or Rosalie and Sal and I knew exactly what was expected of me and where I was expected to be at each hour of the day. In exactly nine months, I knew that would all change and I was terrified and disoriented. In college I felt a little better, but still felt as if I was standing on sand in a wind storm.

It took me a little while, but I muddled my way through and it wasn’t until I ran a tutoring center, working with illiterate teens and adults that I realized not everyone was so lucky. Not everyone knew how to sort it out to find what their exact purpose is. Some have it down. I know kids, who from when they were very young, are never seen without charcoal and paper or a guitar in their hands. Some are born to dance or sing. They wear their purpose like their favorite piece of clothing. If they are so lucky as to have parents who nurture that, they just grow into it and no one would ever think that they would do anything else. Others are not so lucky. Those who work along their purpose line, whether for a living or on the side for joy, are the happiest most fulfilled people I know. They may not watch a lot of television, or have that fancy car, or the latest and greatest of anything, but they are truly happy.

So how does one go about finding their purpose in life? And once you’ve found it how do you go about transitioning into doing that for a living or making room for it in and around your life?

Well you can start by listing out all the things you truly love doing, the things that make you most happy. Then list out all the related professions. For instance an artist can paint, draw, teach art, illustrate for writers, work in advertising, do story boards for movies and animation, etc, etc, etc. You get the idea?

Sometimes a purpose is truly broad. For instance, a person whose purpose is to enlighten others on a particular subject could have a much broader choice of professions and activities.

And sometimes people just need help, another person to walk them through it. If you or your child is one of those people, feel free to contact Mace-Kingsley Family Center at 727-442-3922.