Why Am I Here?
It was probably around 25 years ago. I was in a coffee shop, meeting someone I trusted for advice. His name was Kenny.
I don’t actually remember what I was asking about.
What I do remember is what he said at the end of our conversation:
“I thought you were going to tell me you’d decided to become a minister.”
It wasn’t a wild guess. I’d grown up in the church community in my local town in Northern Ireland. I was already leading youth groups and had recently become an elder in the church I attended.
But the truth? Me becoming a minister would have been a terrible idea.
I was in my early 30s and thought I had life figured out. I was full of certainty. And full of myself.
Makes me smile now.
Also makes me cringe.
But Kenny’s comment has stayed with me. It pointed to a deeper question I’ve wrestled with for years:
Why am I really here?
Underneath all that certainty was a ton of doubt and self-judgement.
I had friends who became ministers. Friends who became missionaries.
They were doing things that looked like they really mattered. Things that would count for something.
And there I was … a great life, a wonderful family, a successful business, and a leadership role in my community … with absolutely no idea who I really was, or what I was here to do.
That question still comes up sometimes. Usually when I’m around people who speak with great clarity about their life’s mission or world-changing vision.
I don’t often feel like I have that.
But what’s become clearer over time … through burnout, therapy, becoming a therapist, and eventually a coach … is this:
The more I’ve come to see who I really am, the more clearly I’ve started to see what’s possible for me.
And that’s the thread that runs through my work now.
Not because I know who you are. I don’t.
But because of the path I’ve walked, I’ve become pretty good at helping others find that out for themselves.
I help people see who they are.
I help people see what’s possible for them.
And I help them start creating it … even if it used to feel out of reach.
It’s not a one-line elevator pitch.
Maybe I’ll find one of those someday.
But for now, what I do know is this:
When people spend time with me, they start to see what’s possible.
When people spend time with me, they reconnect with who they really are.
When people spend time with me, they take steps toward the life they’ve always imagined.
Maybe that’s my mission.
Not to change the world …
But to help one person at a time change their world.
And for me … that would be more than enough.
Much love,
Peter