Did You Always Know You Were Meant for Something?

A soft reflection on growing up with a calling....

Not in a grand, headline-making kind of way, just a quiet certainty that there was purpose stitched into days.

Growing up in Nigeria, that wasn’t unusual.
We were raised on purpose. Taught to chase calling the way others might chase comfort.
It was more than ambition, it was destiny. And we carried it proudly.

By 15, many of us already had vision statements.
We were writing about impact before we knew what it would cost.
And if you grew up in church circles, it was handed to us on pulpits, in devotionals, in those long youth meetings where they asked if you knew your calling yet.

And honestly? I loved it.
Purpose gave me direction before life gave me distractions.
I knew I wanted to build something meaningful, and that belief still lives in me.
That fire hasn’t left, but these days, it burns a little differently.

Back then, we had dreams with no deadlines.
Now, it’s vision + metrics + vibes + Google Calendar.

You say you’re figuring it out, and someone asks, “So what are you doing now?”
Or worse, “Still doing that thing?”

Maybe you didn’t grow up in Nigeria.
Maybe your version of “purpose” looked different, but I bet you felt it too, in some form.

Somewhere along the line, the weight of purpose started competing with the weight of performance.
Suddenly, it wasn’t enough to just be you; you had to be booked, strategic, and visible while at it.

Hear this:

You don’t need applause to stay committed.
Clarity doesn’t always arrive loudly; sometimes, it unfolds slowly.

So I’m learning to pace myself, asking God to direct me.
To remain present in the in-between.
To honour the things I care about, even while I figure out how to make them sustainable.

Not everything needs a big reveal.
Some things can grow quietly, faithfully, over time.

So wherever you are in your journey, loud or quiet, certain or still exploring. I hope you know it counts.
The pace might shift, the form might change, but the purpose? That stays.

Let’s keep building.
Let’s keep becoming.

With plantain chips and cold Fanta,
Toby 🍩

Hit reply, what’s purpose looking like for you these days? Loud, quiet, somewhere in-between?