MY WHY

Through my experiences I have built the foundation of my understanding of  meaningful work on the belief that it is work that transforms personal struggle into purpose, without allowing it to become the entirety of one's identity. I don’t believe hard work, visible or ambitious work determines meaning. Personally, I see meaning emerge from lived experience and the way we inform, serve others, make decisions and move through the world with that integrity. My experiences navigating health challenges and building a career in digital media have taught me that purpose isn’t found in hardship itself, but how we intentionally respond to it. 

Throughout my life, I have learned that resilience is not a personality trait but a practice. Early health challenges shaped how I view time, energy, and opportunity. They forced me to recognize that energy is finite and that where we invest it matters. However, I do not believe struggle alone gives work meaning. Research on the concept of “calling” suggests that individuals who view their work as purposeful experience greater life satisfaction and motivation (Wrzesniewski et al., 1997). Yet I have also learned that calling is not about centering hardship, rather, it is about using awareness gained from hardship to act responsibly. In my work as a digital content creator, I have seen how visibility can amplify both narrative and misconception. That experience reinforced that meaningful work requires intentionality. It requires asking not only “What can I build?” but also “How does what I build affect others?”

The book Make Your Job a Calling emphasizes that meaning is constructed through reflection and service rather than discovered passively. I have found this to be true in practice. In digital spaces especially, it is easy for ambition to eclipse self-awareness. However, self-determination theory suggests that autonomy, competence, and relatedness are foundational to intrinsic motivation and fulfillment (Deci & Ryan, 2000). For me, meaningful work must preserve autonomy, ensuring that I choose my direction thoughtfully, while fostering relatedness through authentic connection. My past has shaped me, but it does not confine me. Instead, it informs how I approach storytelling, leadership, and collaboration with empathy and care.

Ultimately, meaningful work is not about proving resilience or narrating struggle for validation. It is about allowing lived experience to deepen perspective while continuing to grow beyond it. I strive to approach my career not as a platform for self-definition through adversity, but as an opportunity to contribute thoughtfully, build responsibly, and serve others with awareness. In doing so, I aim to create work that is not defined by what I have endured, but strengthened by what I have learned. This perspective shapes how I approach creative decisions, partnerships, and leadership opportunities within digital spaces.