Truth and purpose

By Fatou Drammeh

The uncertainty that comes with youth is a blessing and a curse. On one hand, we can feel like we have all the time in the world to figure out what we want to do and who we want to be; truthfully, it can be fun to experiment with a handful of different avenues until you find the perfect fit. On the other hand, most of us have experienced that “time is running out” feeling, even as young as eighteen, nineteen, or twenty, all of which are years where we should feel we have the most time. How do we combat this phenomenon? Most importantly, how do we find our truth? Our purpose?

I’m only eighteen years old, but I’ve already gotten a taste of what it feels like to understand what your path is meant to be. As far back as I can remember, my parents made it a point to read a chapter of a book together every night before bed; I followed this tradition up with about an hour of “journaling” (yes, believe it or not, I realized the therapeutic nature of emptying my thoughts on paper as early as five or six; keep this in mind).

From the recaps of a day of a first grader to a bunch of incomplete fictional shorts, I wrote down any and everything that came to mind. One of the closest friends I made during my elementary school years came from a long line of actors. Spending time around her and her family only sparked my creativity and interest in writing more; I wrote plays, entered and won a few poetry contests, and penned many-a unfinished novel as a child.

Next comes middle school, the prime-time for reinvention. I had a bit of a hard time trying to figure out where I fit; coming from an all-white gifted program and then moving onto a school with such a large minority population in its student body was a shock. I saw people that looked like me but I somehow still didn’t fit. So I squeezed my way in. I let go of writing, theater, and most of my other interests--even my proper name--and took on a “new identity.” I was no longer the lively and creative writer, but the future doctor with the nonchalant attitude.

Fast-forward to high school, junior year. It’s the first week of school and we’re beginning to meet with our counselors, discussing our college and career paths in preparation for the upcoming application period at the end of the year. I don’t remember exactly what sparked the bad nerves I had on that particular day, but I exploded into tears the moment I stepped foot into my bedroom after school. I was conflicted on where to attend college, I hated the STEM path I had forced myself onto, and I just felt stuck--stuck and out of time.

After unpacking my passions with the help of my brother and sister, I made the decision to give writing a try again, but in a different capacity--journalism. The next day, I immediately signed up to be apart of my school’s newspaper, and within a short amount of working with the club’s advisor, I was offered the position of editor. Finally, everything seemed to be falling into place. The remainder of my junior year and my senior year were beautiful times, because I had found my purpose.

I tell this story to my peers often because it applies; we’re adults and we’re enrolled in college, but you’d be surprised to know how many students have no clue what their next step is. And that’s okay.

College is one of the perfect places to really find out what you like, what you don’t like, what you’re good at, and what you aren’t. Just in my first semester, I’ve already ruled out some options and added new ones to the list of possibilities. There’s so much to explore and honestly, so much time; life is not as short as we make it out to be.

To sum things up, here are three things to keep in mind while on your journey to find your niche, whether you’re in high school, college, or some limbo in between..

1. Go back to your roots.

   Think back to what you loved to do in your free time in all stages of your life, as well as what you’ve excelled at over the years. Are you “left-brained” or “right-brained?” was Math or English your favorite course? What did you sneak out of bed to do on a school night? Childhood you is your most pure self, and can be the answer to the burning question at hand.

2. Keep an open mind.

   I ruled out so many options for careers, and sometimes still do, just because I’m too focused on making it into a certain tax bracket. Yes, money makes the world go ‘round and we need it to survive; but we have to keep in mind that happiness serves the same purpose. We’re blessed to live in a day and age where a living can be made out of any and every avenue, if you’re willing to do the work. When you aim to fully live out your passions, obtaining both money and happiness is not impossible to accomplish.

3. Let purpose find you--but still put effort behind it.

   Sometimes your path is right in front of you, where you’d least expect it. As a person who likes control, I understand the difficulty of adopting the “go with the flow” mindset; but when you’re willing to let things come to you with time, the results can be beautiful and just what you’ve been praying for. Explore all that you can, do all the work you can, and, most importantly, relax. With the right amount of effort put in, everything will fall into place.

I’m Fatou Drammeh,

an 18-year-old from Maryland and a student of Howard University’s Media, Journalism, & Film program. I’m an avid creator in all forms, but my two main projects are my blog and my YouTube channel; click here to check out both for content on lifestyle topics through my lens.