We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marissa Lima a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Marissa, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
In my opinion, finding our purpose isn’t a one-shot deal. At 51, I can safely say that I have found my purpose in many different forms at many different stages of my life.
As a young woman in my late twenties, for instance, motherhood felt like my purpose. I was more at peace in my role as a mother than I had ever been before. I knew I was doing what I was meant to do.
Over the next few decades, I found my purpose in various roles of my life through community involvement, jobs, relationships – some were filled with long-lasting purpose, some short-term – but always instilling in me a sense of purpose.
I encourage people who feel like their own purpose evades them to look for the things that excite them and run directly toward those things. It might take some time to determine exactly how that thing will fit into your life, but if it excites you, if you find yourself thinking on that thing, pursue it. Explore it. Research it and learn all you can about it. And then throw yourself into it as completely as possible. If you don’t yet know what it is that excites you, keep working on you – keep striving to be the best version of yourself, and when you find your purpose, you’ll be ready to fully embrace it.
One purpose that has been an underlying theme for me, regardless of my role, has been writing. No matter what stage of my life I am in, writing has always been an important part of my existence. It has come into play in various forms – ever changing – but always an integral part of my identity.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
In my professional life, I work for the American Cancer Society as the staff partner for the Memphis metro area, managing fundraising efforts for local campaigns to end cancer as we know it, for everyone.
I’ve been in fundraising for the better part of my career, serving in non-profit arenas that have included higher education, the arts, and now healthcare. This is by far the most challenging, yet most rewarding, career role I have known.
Working in the cancer space can be overwhelming sometimes. Being a fundraiser in the cancer space can feel especially heavy. The need is so great. What if I fail? I must remind myself that no matter how small my overall impact may be in the grand scheme of things, every dollar I raise toward cancer research, patient programming, and advocacy, gets us closer to a world without this beast.
I often tell people that I have a love/hate relationship with my job. I love what I do. The people I serve inspire me every day, and I can’t help but grow close to many of them. But I hate that my job needs to be done. I would gladly put myself out of a job today if it meant we could live in a world without cancer.
So, I work every day to find individuals and organizations who want to partner with us to help end this horrible disease that affects all of us. Every single one of us is susceptible to a cancer diagnosis. It doesn’t matter what color you are, how much money you have, or what religion you choose – cancer doesn’t care. Which means we should ALL be working to end this disease.
In my personal life, I turn to writing as my outlet. It’s always been my instrument for processing the twists and turns of life. I’ve written numerous books. The first at the age of ten…that one was handwritten in a spiral notebook. I’d sure love to have that old notebook so I could delve into the vast literary wisdom of my ten-year-old self! What a laugh that would be!
More recently I have written the first two installments of a Young Adult Dystopian novel series entitled, THE KNOWING. It’s the first time I’ve actually published one of my books, since the ease and quality of self-publishing has improved dramatically. The series follows a society comprised of the Known, those for whom their year of death has been revealed, and the Unknown, those who do not know their fate. The world is a very different place depending upon which group one has the fortune to fall into, and the implications of this knowledge change everything.
It isn’t an ordinary book, however. Rather, it is a collaborative experience in which the reader is asked to respond to the story and offer ideas about where it should go next. The first book was published in late 2023 and received terrific feedback from readers full of amazing ideas. Those ideas were woven into the second installment which was released in late 2024. And the process starts again – readers respond via email with their thoughts and ideas which I weave into the storyline so they can be a part of the writing experience. I’m not sure anyone has ever done anything like this before. I hope everyone will come along for the ride and be part of the story.
I expect there to ultimately be four to five installments, thereby composing the full novel. THE KNOWING – BOOKS 1 and 2 are currently available in multiple formats on Amazon.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The journey of life is constantly posing new challenges and questions, so I believe that being a lifelong learner is an absolute necessity. Spend a little time each day reading and researching something that interests you personally, or that will help you grow as a professional. Not only do you gain insight and knowledge, but when one of those new challenges arises (because it WILL), you’ll already be a pro at researching and finding your way through the discourse will feel less daunting. Besides, you will never regret the time you’ve spent learning.
Secondly, we always need to be open to new possibilities. While it’s important to make a plan, remember to leave room for the change that will inevitably occur. Even the best laid plans will need to be modified from time to time, but as human beings we sometimes resist change. We like when things stay the same because it’s familiar and safe. If we are closed off to new possibilities, we might miss something amazing because it wasn’t what we were expecting, or it wasn’t in the plan. If your heart is already open to new opportunities, then you will be ready to receive whatever comes your way.
Most importantly, I think we need to recognize the brevity of our time on this earth. Over the course of my life, I have lost far too many friends well before their time, and those losses have fundamentally changed the way I see the world. While it seems like an obvious notion to pay attention to the transience of life, many of us are so wrapped up in the minutia of our days that we forget to cherish it. It’s easy to do, but I sincerely caution against it. As they say, the days are long, but the years are short…sometimes far shorter than we know they will be. So be present, be intentional, and keep in mind that you simply don’t know how much time you have remaining so use it carefully and thoughtfully. Will you perfectly utilize every moment to its fullest? Of course, not – we all get lost in the insanity of life sometimes but try to create a habit of refocusing your mind on how precious every moment truly is. Do your best to be wholly present as often as you can be, and you will discover a new appreciation for even the tiniest glimmers of light that float throughout your day. Life is short, and we only get one, so make the most of it.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Collaboration is a key factor in my work as a Development Professional. Building relationships and finding ways to partner with those individuals (or groups) is at the very core of most everything I do. I am always searching for partners who also want to live in a world without cancer. We’ve made such advances in cancer treatment, but there is so much more work to be done. When we work together, cancer will not win, so whether it’s a company, church, family, or individual, collaboration means bringing together resources so we can do more. More research, more patient programs, and more advocacy work. More lives saved.
As a writer, I’m also interested in collaborating with my audience in my current book project, THE KNOWING. Typically, readers are on the receiving end of the work when reading a book. With this project, I’m asking readers to actively participate in the process by responding after each installment with their thoughts about the storyline. Readers have an opportunity to actually shape future installments. I’m not sure anyone has ever done anything like this before, and I hope people will join me in this communal storytelling journey. The more the merrier!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: marissalima1973
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissa-lima-42ab65228
- Other: Amazon Book Listing: https://a.co/d/eshPnC7
Image Credits
Red Bardes
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