Dear Seniors : 

I was asked one question as I went to my college intro weekend: 

“Why do you want to be a lawyer?”

Me: “To make a lot of money.” 

Him: “What if you don’t make a lot of money, then what?  What’s the bigger reason?” 

My first thought was that I must not be doing a very good job if I’m not making a lot of money as a lawyer. 

My second thought was that no one had ever asked me this question. 

I had been telling people that I would be a lawyer since the 3rd grade when we had to draw what we wanted to be when we grew up and hang it on the hallway wall. 

While other kids scratched their heads, asked questions, and stared out the window thinking, I quickly whipped out a drawing of myself in a business suit, hair pulled up, sitting behind a desk with books stacked next to me.  I wanted to be a lawyer.  No one asked me why.  Not my teacher, not my parents, not my friends.  I had the gift of gab, loved to argue, and never backed down from a challenge.  I believed in justice and fighting for what was right, so it seemed like a given that lawyer would be my chosen profession.  

As I sat there, 18 years old, with my entire life seemingly planned out, I realized I didn’t truly understand why I wanted to become a lawyer beyond the allure of a stable career and a good salary. The question, “What if you don’t make a lot of money, then what?” echoed in my mind. It struck me that no one had ever asked me this before. I had been so focused on the destination– a law degree and a respectable job– that I had overlooked WHY I was doing any of it.

I didn’t aspire to lock up criminals.  I didn’t dream of freeing the wrongly accused.  When I decided that international corporate law would be my specialized field, I didn’t envision taking down crooked industries or defending global giants. 

Being a lawyer was just what I thought I was supposed to do. 

No one offered suggestions for other fields to which my talents would apply. 

No one suggested that “making a lot of money” might not fulfill the passion within my heart. 

And so, when I became overwhelmed and faced burnout in my second year at college, I quit…

Why? 

Because I didn’t know why I was actually going to college. 

To get a degree. 

To get a job. 

To make a lot of money. 

But those three criteria weren’t enough to keep me in college when life became more than I could handle.  When bills piled up and, I was working two jobs to make ends meet.  

When I was emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually exhausted.  

When I missed my friends and family.  

When I didn’t have the coping skills to name and face the burnout I was experiencing, I didn’t know WHY I was doing what I was doing.  

Whatever step you take next: college/trade school/employment… isn’t the be-all, end-all.  It won’t magically solve your problems.  It won’t drop financial security in your lap or reveal your purpose in life. 

Also, it will not be easier than anything you’ve experienced up until now.  

You must understand that you are on a lifelong journey with no actual destination.  However, you can become intentional about the ever-evolving path you’re about to begin. 

Where do you want to be in ten years, emotionally and spiritually?

How do you want your journey to look?

How will your spirit be fulfilled? 

What is the pinnacle of where you would like to find yourself? 

After this next step.

Where are you?

Why do you want to do what you plan to do? 

Who will you be serving in ten years? 

How will you leverage the unique gifts and skills God has given you and only you? 

How will you continue to persevere when the road becomes rocky? 

What is the driving factor that motivates you to do what you do every day? 

How is the world better for the path that you have chosen? 

How have you stewarded what you have been given?  

Who do you want to be for those placed on your path?

How do you want people to remembered?

Within that lengthy list of questions lies your WHY.

That is your purpose in life.

Spoiler alert. 

I didn’t become an attorney. 

And… I didn’t finish college. 

But, if I had continued on the path that I was on, II wouldn’t be writing these words today. 

I’m unsure I could explain clearly why I had done anything in my career. 

Today, I can stand firm in my conviction when I tell you that I know EXACTLY why I do what I do because I can see the faces of the people I have been called to create opportunities for. 

It seems like a very long time from now, but trust me when I say that life moves exponentially faster than you could ever imagine. You’ll blink and arrive at the ten-year mark.

So, I challenge each of you graduating this year: 

Think about what you are doing and why you are taking the next step in your journey. 

Why are you going to college? 

Why are you going to technical school? 

Why are you taking the job that you are taking? 

And why have you chosen the path that you are on? 

It’s okay not to know WHAT you’ll do with your life; that’s in God’s hands anyway.

But, if money is your sole motivation, I encourage you to revisit the question and ask yourself:

If you could positively impact this world in the incredibly short amount of time you have on this earth, what would you want that to look like? 

And go chase that purpose with every fiber in your being!