Peter Emer on purpose renewed
As we leap from the tumultuous year of 2020, many of us look to 2021 as a reset. This is a time to reinvigorate our lives and the purpose within them. Having your purpose renewed means having one's true fulfilment revealed, and perhaps in the unlikeliest of areas. The renewal of purpose goes beyond a person’s academic levels or natural talents – it’s a hybrid that combines both aspects and is amplified by an inexplicable energy and passion.
Audaz’s Alicia Bragg sat down with Peter Emer, founder and director of the LIL project, and delved into how he found his purpose and regenerated it into a globally recognized nonprofit organization that touches lives all over the world.
Alicia: Let’s talk about Peter pre-purpose...what did that look like?
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Peter: I grew up in a household that I think like many people here that might relate, I was always kind of pushed towards a certain career choice - and that was medicine for my family. Because of parental pressure I gave in to studying medicine and enrolled for pre med...My first year of pre med, I hated it. It just didn't sit well with me. And I remember having conversations with some of my friends, I think I actually went through depression. Like that's how much I hated it, because it was just not aligned with the things that I was really passionate about.
Alicia: And it wasn't something that you really wanted to pursue. Your family kind of pushed you into it, whereas it wasn't something that you really connected to.
Peter: I feel like we get trapped in those moments where we're doing something, and we can feel the friction. But a lot of times we tend to ignore it because of what our surroundings expect from us. And I think that's exactly what I did. And once I got to that really low point, I had to decide that this is my life and I only get to live it once. I have the opportunity to do whatever I want to do with it. The last thing that I would ever want to do is live somebody else's dream.
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This is an excerpt from the conversation we had with Peter, Listen to the full conversation on Audaz Chat, the changemakers’ podcast.
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