Editor’s note: Laura Long journeyed to Athens in late 2016 to work with Syrian refugees and it has sparked online posts and a magazine article which follow
I discuss my personal journey with purpose and what it means to follow our path of it.
She writes in other places – "I can say in full confidence, these refugees are more than worthy of a life outside of a camp and war. I will forever stand with them, I will forever love them, and I will forever provide my friendship as a temporary home."
"The refugee crisis goes beyond headlines and politics. To me it now consists of relationships, faces and stories. My posts in the coming days will share the stories of those who deserve a megaphone and a spotlight. "
"Never in my life have I been more embraced by kindness and hospitality than that of my new friends. I am forever changed. This crisis will not disappear so please stare at it deep in those eyes-I assure you that you won’t be able to look away."
From The Letter Magazine.
"There are few words in the english language that simultaneously stir up hope and panic when they touch my ears. One of those words being, purpose. A series of questions wrapped up in my identity, passions, and future hit me like an avalanche when the word is uttered. For years I wondered, why does this word affect me so? I’ve come to realize the word purpose is so heavy because we put so much weight on it. From the time we are born to when we leave the nest; the adults in our life, inspirational posters in classrooms and high school commencement speeches tell us that we have been put on this earth for a great purpose.Then no one follows up with what that is. Instead, we are thrown out of the nest and told to fly on wings of faith and that this so called life purpose will be a soft landing pad.
"Personally, I suffered a hard fall from that nest. My younger-self created suffocating high standards and fantasies of my future, then slapped the word purpose onto the daydream as to ensure control over my fate. If you would have asked me five years ago what my purpose in life is I would have replied it was my career as an actor. Little did I know at the time, I was limiting myself to a life more complex and meaningful than I could comprehend. If I had diminished my purpose to my profession then my career and identity would have buckled under the pressure. It is so common for us to confuse profession with purpose, but why limit your life’s purpose to the hours of 9-5?
"I learned very quickly that putting expectations on purpose leaves out room for destiny and adventure to take its natural course. I love books like “Wild” or “Eat, Pray, Love”, but so often I hear of women who try to seek a new found purpose to their identity by recreating the journey from those stories. Yes, hiking the Pacific Crest Trail changed the life course of Cheryl Strayed, but it may not change yours. If you want to go to Italy and overstuff yourself with pizza, then do it because you want to not because Elizabeth Gilbert did. The secret to the those authors we admire is this: they embarked on a journey into the unknown in search of a better understanding of life and their purpose in it. Your journey will look different than mine and vise versa, but by no means does that interfere with the fact that everyone has a purpose. You can’t chase your purpose while comparing someone else’s journey to yours. Instead, purpose will appear at your doorstep when you least expect it.
"This Fall I went on my own journey to Athens, Greece to aid in the refugee crisis. While there, I saw a heart of humanity that I had never seen before. Regardless of language or cultural barriers, I met people who simply needed someone to be present with them. I didn’t need to speak arabic in order to sit and listen to the tragedy and triumphs of someone’s story. I simply had to be present. My outlook on purpose changed while I was there. Here I was surrounded by people who have been forced to flee everything they once knew- their dreams, jobs, friends, homes, and even family. They were forced to flee from things we usually put our stock of purpose in. Yet, I looked around at my new friends and although their future is unknown and their slates wiped clean, never have I seen purpose beam brighter than in those tents. I believe that is due to the fact that purpose is birthed out of humility, wrapped in compassion and will always rise from ashes.
"While in Greece, I felt and saw purpose first hand and it looked nothing like I imagined. I use to assume my life’s purpose would be beautifully wrapped in the package of success. How relieved I was to discover that purpose isn’t decorated in accomplishments, relationship statuses, or accolades. In fact, if you want to know where the path to purpose begins you’ll find it at humility. A path that will lead you to this simple truth: your life purpose has nothing to do with you. The second I had this revelation the weight that I had attached to the word purpose all those years ago melted off of me. That’s not to say that our dreams don’t matter or that your story isn’t important because it is. However, within the story of your dreams you’ll discover purpose is always attached to the world’s needs. There is something in you that the world needs. If you have been struggling with what your purpose in life is, I assure you it can always be found in the eyes of another. You understand why your heart beats the moment you provide strength to someone else’s weakness. The world is begging for us to present our talents and passions with compassion and a helping hand.
My life doesn’t look the way I thought it would and that truly is the best thing to happen to me. As much as I still my younger self wanted to hold onto the control of my destiny I am so glad I am learning to let go. There was no way for me to know what passions would remain or what new ones would form. There are no bells or whistles attached to purpose. It is simply the “why” behind everything we do by being intentional with our talents, time, and relationships.
"Be brave and embrace the future with your passions and compassion, because it will embrace you back, and the hug will feel a lot like purpose.