On this Good Friday, I find myself deep in thought, pondering what it truly means to live a life of purpose.

I have always believed in lifting people up. It is a core part of who I am. My life and work have been shaped by those who stood for something greater than themselves, by those who fought for justice, dignity, and peace even when the odds were stacked against them. Chief among those figures for me is Nelson Mandela.

Mandela, an imperfect man by his own admission, lived a life defined by purpose. He endured 27 years of imprisonment under the brutal apartheid regime, yet he emerged not with vengeance but with vision. He imagined a post-racial South Africa, a rainbow nation that would not be shackled by the sins of its past but instead move forward through healing, justice, and reconciliation.

Mandela’s refusal to treat his oppressors as they once treated him was not weakness. It was a courageous commitment to peace. He understood that retaliation would only delay the nation’s progress. His purpose was rooted not in bitterness, but in hope for collective redemption. And because of that, South Africa progressed. Not perfectly, but undeniably forward.

There is a profound lesson in his life. Purpose must be rooted in good, not evil. Even when we are wronged, even when we carry the heavy burden of pain or betrayal, we must not let hatred or disdain guide our steps. If we do, we become consumed and lose our way. We stop living with purpose and begin to live in reaction.

This is why I believe so deeply in the power of the recovery community. It is a space where people learn they cannot move forward while chained to their past, their resentments, or their anger. In those rooms of truth and vulnerability, people begin to heal. They rediscover meaning. They begin to live again, with purpose.

Purpose, when embraced, is transformative. It becomes the fulcrum that shifts lives, families, and even nations. Archimedes once said, “Give me a place to stand and I will move the world.” Purpose is that place. It is where we plant our feet, ground our values, and from where we can make lasting change.

And maybe that is what today, Good Friday, calls us to do. To reflect. To recommit. To ask ourselves the difficult questions:

What is my purpose? Am I living a life that benefits not just myself, but others? Am I living a life rooted in justice, compassion, and love?

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said that he wanted to be remembered as “a drum major for justice.” That line has always stayed with me. Not because of its grandeur, but because of its humility. He did not ask to be remembered for titles or achievements. He asked to be remembered for showing up, for standing tall in the name of what is right.

So I ask you today: How do you want to be remembered? What is your purpose, and are you living it?

Let us walk through this day, and all days, seeking purpose not in revenge, not in ego, not in self-interest, but in service. Let us be drum majors for justice, healing, and hope. Let us find that place to stand and move the world.