Finding Purpose: A Life-Changing Choice
Back in the 1995, I made a choice that would change the course of my life forever. I was at Ripon and York St John, studying sports science, with dreams of becoming a physiotherapist. But as the months passed, it became clear that the course wasn’t leading me to where I thought I wanted to go. I felt stuck, uncertain, and without a clear path ahead.
One day, walking past the Armed Forces Careers Office, I stopped. It wasn’t just a whim that pulled me in that direction, I wanted to belong to something bigger. Many of my friends and my brother were already serving, and their stories resonated with me deeply. I made a decision in that moment: I was going to join the Army.
When I called my dad to tell him, I braced myself for resistance. I expected him to tell me to carry on with university, finish what I had started. But his words were different—ones that have stayed with me ever since. He said, “You can come home in the meantime, but you have to work. You have to make a difference.”
That message—of responsibility, purpose, and action—has shaped the way I approach every challenge in my life. It wasn’t just about joining the Army; it was about committing fully to what I chose to do. My father’s words reminded me that it’s not the circumstances you face but the meaning and effort you bring to them that give life its direction.
Purpose and Strength in Action
Looking back, that decision taught me a core truth: with purpose, we find strength. Purpose doesn’t eliminate struggle, but it gives struggle meaning. It transforms uncertainty into opportunity, suffering into resilience, and doubt into clarity.
In my life now, as a psychotherapist and someone who’s faced my share of challenges, that principle rings true. When we commit fully to something, whether it’s a job, a relationship, or even self-improvement, we give ourselves the best chance to succeed.
Committing fully doesn’t guarantee the outcome we hope for, but it does ensure that we learn what we’re capable of and whether the path is right for us. Half-hearted efforts leave us in limbo, questioning and second-guessing. But when we show up with everything we have, we move forward… one way or another.
The Call to Action
Life will always present us with choices, and not all of them will be easy. But when we approach them with purpose and commitment, we find out what we’re made of.
So whatever it is you’re facing, a career decision, a relationship, or even a personal struggle, don’t half-ass it. Dive in fully. Give it your best. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s worth it.
Be the one to find out what’s possible. Be the one to make a difference.
Don’t half-ass your way through life.
Commit to yourself, your values, and your purpose. That’s where strength lives.