What 40 Middle Schoolers Taught Me About Purpose
Hey Reader,
Something happened last week that snapped everything back into focus.
I led four career fair sessions with about 40 middle schoolers — 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Instead of the usual “what do you want to be when you grow up” thing, I threw that script out. I asked them to discover their superpower.
We started simple. What are you already good at? The answers came fast: sports, music, cooking, drawing, organizing things, helping people with their words. Then we pushed deeper — what do you actually care about? The room shifted. Family. Faith. Friends. Making people happy. These kids weren’t just answering questions. They were thinking. Hard.
Then the big one: If you could fix one thing in the world, what would it be?
Some of these kids are 11 years old. They’re talking about ending homelessness, reducing pollution, supporting mental health, and helping their parents make ends meet. They meant every word.
But the moment I keep coming back to? When I asked what they learned about themselves. One student said: “I found out I’m actually a good kid.” Another: “I can put my mind to anything and accomplish it.”
“I’m actually a good kid.” Like it was news to him. That tells me something about what we’re not doing enough of.
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