How I Discovered My Purpose...From Pancakes!
IT ALL STARTED WITH PANCAKES AND A FRESH IDEA.
Fall 2016. I was annoyed, tired and downright frustrated with life. Nothing seemed to be going my way.
I felt stuck in my less-than-perfect marriage, even though we had just celebrated our 1st anniversary a few weeks prior. To avoid conflicts with my husband I spent extra time at the office, pouring way too much time into my job than any sane 27 year old should. (Although the job paid well, the work really wasn’t all that satisfying to me.) On top of all that, I really didn’t feel connected to my family or friends. It was like I was out on an island by myself just waiting for retirement — or death — to come. And FAST.
I remember thinking: “There’s gotta be more to life than this.” Sure enough, there was. I just didn’t know how to get there yet.
Growing up, I was raised in a standard, middle class, two-parent household. My family instilled what I call the “Good Principles” in me from an early age. Maybe you’ve heard of them?
The Good Principles:
Do well in school so you can get into a good college.
Get good grades in college so you can get a good job.
Get a good job so you can make good money.
Make good money so you can retire well off.
It’s not that any of these things are wrong — in fact, it’s just the opposite! This is exactly what society tell us all to do. School. College. Job. Retire. If you follow the rules, you can become very successful by the world’s standards.
On the outside, I had achieved that success. I had a good job, a husband, a dog, a cool car, and my own apartment. I had it made! (Some people even called my husband and I a “power couple” and #RelationshipGoals!)
But on the inside, I was unsatisfied. Unfulfilled. And truthfully, I was lost. Without the Good Principles road map telling me what to do next, I felt confused and anxious about my future.
That’s when I found pancakes.
Yes, pancakes!
In the fall of 2016, my friend Desiree invited me out to a Pancake Breakfast event in Washington DC for an organization called Changing Perceptions. It was totally random and I had nothing else to do that day, so I decided to join her.
At the event, I learned that Changing Perceptions helps ex-convicts get back on their feet by providing them with jobs, training on entrepreneurship and housing. And it’s not just any kind of housing — the Changing Perceptions founder actually opens up his own home! The men all live, work and pray together. And they’re all striving to become better versions of themselves.
I was absolutely blown away by the passion that I witnessed. It was incredible! I thought, “Wow, I wish I cared about something that much.”
After the event, Desiree and I talked outside about our lives and how we felt like we were doing things but not making progress. Kind of just living life with no direction. No purpose. Each day was just a rinse and repeat of the day before.
That’s when I had a fresh idea — what if I could figure out what I was passionate about and then use that to help someone else? Just like the Changing Perceptions organization helped so many men become self-sufficient… maybe I could do something similar for my own community.
Right there on that autumn day, I decided to take back control of my life. I vowed to live a more intentional life driven by my own definition of success — no one else’s. A life where I wasn’t just working to retire, but working to fund my dream of helping others. I decided to live a life of purpose.
Now I have a purpose life coaching business, helping people all over the country discover their God-given purpose and make a positive impact on the world. (More details on that in a future blog post!) Life coaching is an amazing opportunity, and I’m so grateful that God laid this on my heart!
And to think, it all started with pancakes.
Do you know what your God-given purpose is? Comment below!