On Finding Truth
By Kaelyn Brown
Introduction
Maybe, finding your “purpose” is not going to feel as clear and monumental as some make it out to be. How does one truly find their purpose in this world anyway? Does someone simply tell them? Are people born understanding their purpose? Do they learn their purpose in school? Is having a purpose even true or real? I believe it is, but I don’t believe our purpose is doing one thing in this world– I believe it is more so a way of living our lives. I don’t believe we have one specific purpose, as I also don’t think our purpose is strictly our career path. What I have come to feel and see, is that purpose is how we connect with others, how we learn, what aspects of life light us up inside, how we treat others, how much of the world we see, and how deeply we observe the world around us. All of these features play a role in how I view our purpose– they each work together like parts of an intricate machine. Everyone may have a different perception of what “having a purpose is,” but I would like to share my perspective, I would like to share how I began to truly feel my purpose.
Roughly a year ago, I began my gap year after spending four years at community college. I had switched my major a total of six times because nothing I was offered felt true to me. Sure, some may argue that school doesn’t have to feel true to you and that you simply need to complete college just to receive your piece of paper, which unlocks a plethora of job opportunities for you. I eventually found something that somewhat spoke to me, so I worked hard to complete that route, still not knowing what I wanted to do as a career path. Fast forward about four years, I finally received my associate of arts degree and worked hard to then get accepted to a university, which I did, and I chose UC San Diego. Beginning my first quarter here felt as if I was wearing a mask. Everyone around me was competing hard to be the best in the class or to be first in the door. No one was looking up, their heads seemingly stuck to the screens in their hands… it didn’t feel like me.
Walking into yet another writing class I had to take, I felt lost. I was under the impression that this writing course was going to consist of irrelevant readings, then regurgitating the ideas of these writers– I was incredibly wrong. Within the first day, I already felt the relevance of this course, it was apparent that we would discuss true topics that were not limited to a specific major. It was this course that helped guide me toward feeling my “purpose.” It wasn’t a clear and monumental feeling, it was more of an accumulation of thoughts, discussions, material we read, and being given a space to truthfully share how we felt about the material. I invite you to explore with me the journey that I went on in this writing class that truly awakened me to the world we’re living in and what my own purpose is in order to live in more truth.