I recently met up with a friend for coffee. After growing up in a low-income household, he is now a decorated neurologist, who, in addition to his full time practice, travels to elite universities across the country where he lectures on the intersection of neuroscience and the Christian faith.
As he was catching me up on some recent events in his life, he said something important: “I talk with a lot of young people,” he said. “And what I’ve found is that virtually none of them live their lives toward a purpose. They are kind of drifting along, without something purposeful that it is moving toward.”
As is often the case, my mind was drawn back to things here at Acton. You are probably aware that our mission is that everyone who enters our doors deserves to find a calling and change the world.
When first hearing those words, it’s easy to dismiss them as fanciful rhetoric that shouldn’t be taken seriously, a phrase that sounds good in a children’s book but is obviously made with a wink. Changing the world…isn’t that a little grandiose?
But let me assure you that these words are far from hyperbole. In fact, I would argue that only such a grand vision is appropriate for the vast potential that comes bounding into the studio each morning. And it is within this grandiose vision that our young heroes are presented with a different narrative that serves as the antidote to the malady of purposeless living:
Your life matters.
What you do matters.
You were made for a purpose.
And the only things that can limit your impact are the confines of your imagination and your courage.
I believe this deeply in my bones. We have each been created with a unique constellation of gifts, passions, and talents that are intended to equip us for a purpose that we were singularly designed to fill. It is a purpose that is for the benefit of the world that will enrich and bless the lives of others. I cannot fulfill your purpose, nor you mine.
And so at the start of this new year, I am struck by the profound need for each and every one of us to live into our callings — to discover the unique genius that we each possess, to cultivate it, and to let it radiate outward for the benefit of the world. This is our vision for your children, and conversations surrounding this theme happen often in the studio. Yes, it’s grandiose. Unapologetically so. And, no, it’s not the fantasy of a child’s tale. It’s a measured and level-headed assessment of a well-lived life.
For the people who will change the world are those who believe it’s possible.
Did you find this interesting? Here are a few more that you might like:
– An Orderly Studio Is NOT the Goal.
– What Academic Lessons Will My Child Miss By Not Attending An Excellent Public School?
– Snapshots of Heroism Part 1 and Part 2
– Our Learners Are Smarter Than ChatGPT.
– 15 Reasons Acton Academy NW Indy May NOT Be Right For You