The answer to whether you are walking or wandering often changes from season to season – life is fickle in that way. We asked some of the folks we most admire to reflect on whether they feel like they are walking or wandering and have shared some of their responses below.
Rosemary Hurwitz
I- like all children, saw light and magic and wanted to immerse myself in the light- the oneness and the magic space of it all. I did my best to hang onto it. Being the youngest of 6 kids, my siblings, both didn’t want me to tag along,- and – because I was close to it, wanted me to be close to them. Read More>>
Mia Proctor
I have always been a wild and tender soul. Someone who felt deeply, loved freely, and found comfort in the rhythms of nature. I was a child always fascinated by nature. My spirit knew freedom. My heart knew kindness. My soul knew power. But as an Indigenous woman, the world often told me to be quiet. To shrink. Read More>>
Mike Faricy
I was the class clown in grade school. I spent a good portion of my school day standing out in the hall watching the class through the window in the door. I was the kid the teachers didn’t want in their class. Read More>>
Nyiko Rikhotso
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was simply a creator — someone who loved building, innovating, and finding smarter ways to connect people through technology. I’ve always been a professional web developer and digital marketing specialist at heart. Read More>>
Tora Woloshin
Although the world tried to tell me who to be, I still remain who I am. I started out as a kid who sang louder than the noise around me, who stitched melody into defiance, and who saw art not as an option but as oxygen. Read More>>
ALIK BILYALOV
I don’t think I ever really changed — not in the core sense. Of course, life teaches you lessons. It tests you, it sharpens you. But even through all the experiences, the wins and losses, I’ve always stayed the same person — honest, open, and driven by something real. I’ve always believed in kindness, in goodness, in people. Read More>>
Dale Keano
I like my many minority kids was told non stop by my elders and relatives to be a doctor. Being young and not having a strong voice, I followed. All the way until I was 21. When at college I finally got questioned by a counselor – why are you doing this? You’re almost going to flunk out. You barely make grades. Read More>>
Cleonique Hilsaca
Before I knew I could study and practice art for a living, I didn’t have big dreams. As a child, I was always interested in art, writing poetry, singing in the school choir, playing the piano, drawing and painting; but I had no big motivation to have great grades, other than for passing my classes. Read More>>
Danielle Klein
Wow, I absolutely love this question! Before the world told me who I had to be, I was a curious, creative and expressive person who loved music, art and the magic of life and nature. I felt things deeply and always knew there was more to life than what was on the surface. Read More>>
Stacia Greene
Before the world tried to tell me who I should be, I was a curious, creative, and determined young woman who believed that anything was possible with faith and hard work. I loved bringing visions to life, organizing, creating, and helping others see the potential in their own ideas. But life has a way of pressing you into molds that do not always fit. Read More>>
Emma G
When I was five years old, I wrote a list of what I wanted to be when I grew up: a rock star, a mother, a teacher, a counselor, and a fashion designer. That little girl had no concept of “backup plans” or “stability” — she just knew she wanted to live big, create, and help others. Read More>>
Yala Zhou
I think this is a really beautiful question. Honestly, the world never explicitly told me who I had to be—I discovered that gradually for myself. Before I realized I could make choices about who I am, I simply followed what others expected: the guidance of parents, the structure of school, or what classmates were doing. Read More>>
Kyle Mayfield
I really like this question because I have always been me. I don’t give two flyin farts what the world thinks about me. The world wanted me to be many things. I grew up in Oklahoma so the first thing the world told me to be was obedient. Don’t be yourself because you are ot good enough to be yourself. Read More>>
Elaine Ryan
I was a curious kid who loved to sing and dance. The performing arts drew me in, but I was also a strong student and someone with a lot of empathy. From early on, I knew I wanted to do something that helped others. As I grew, the world told me that being ‘successful’ meant chasing status and money. Read More>>
Xhristopher
REBEL! REBEL! REBEL!!! Haha, I have been me from the time I was a little kid. My parents tried to tell me who I was and never did I let them tell me who I was because I’ve understood the meaning of human at that age and still don’t know why the universe and God created me with that wisdom. Read More>>
Rakia’ Taylor
I was a sheltered child who was told being a artist was unrealistic and then I was a soldier that had to blend in with everyone else. Read More>>
Kristina Harris
I was exactly who God created me to be very uniquely made. I always struggled my whole life knowing I was different. Always trying to fit in a mold. I was a strong independent child that loved creativity and art. I recently learned as an adult that I am on the spectrum for autism. Read More>>
Yasemin Arifoska
Good question… Before the world told me who I had to be, I was a small kid with a vivid imagination. As a child, I would spend hours creating stories and writing them down, acting them out in theater with my friends and siblings, and slipping into different characters as if they were part of my everyday life. Read More>>
Verroti
Haha, I’ve always been Verroti, I never had a moment when I felt the world telling me who I am or had to be. I know myself and what I am, and I just worked towards achieving what makes me Verroti. Always working and striving to be better and better. Read More>>
Taylor Smith
Why should I listen to what the world says? I’m who God created me to be. I serve God, not the world. We live in a broken world full of all kinds of problems. Read More>>
Roman Anthony Pantaleion
I think I was always an artist. I was shy, but I always expressed interests in music and acting. Over the years I’ve tried to maintain who I am. Read More>>
Keegan Galt
The world will never and can never dictate who I am, nor who I should be. Remember, I am not of this world. Read More>>
Martha Sylla Underwood
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was a curious little girl who loved to ask “why” and figure out how things worked. I was a dreamer who believed I could design a better way forward whether that was solving a problem for my family, my community, or one day, the world. That part of me never really left. Read More>>
