David Martinez and Langston Mayo can feel when a Backyard Brilliance conversation changes; when one of the podcast’s guests settles into a rhythm and the energy in the room transforms.
It happens when the person sitting across from them stops talking about what they do and starts talking about their sense of purpose or what gives their life meaning.
“You literally see them go into a flow state,” David says. “When people are living their purpose, they have this golden glow to them.”
David and Langston, the hosts of Backyard Brilliance, have seen that “golden glow” dozens of times.
They saw it when Jazmin Chavez and Armando Somoza talked about their 26-year partnership, rooted in helping each other—and others—grow.
They saw it when Lesley Del Rio talked about finding her way back to her own sense of purpose by working alongside or serving her community.
And they saw it again when Alfredo Reyes talked about grief and sobriety, and about helping create Las Bodegas, a permanent home for art, learning and community.
Conversations about someone’s sense of purpose can be vulnerable, but Backyard Brilliance gives young people an intimate space to “step closer to clarity or understanding,” Langston says—and when that happens, the hosts want to be sure others hear it.
“Every time we have a conversation, we leave like, ‘This can’t stay in this room,’” David says. “It needs to exist in the world because we know somebody out there needs to hear this.”
What Is Sense of Purpose?
Sense of Purpose is one of Ednium’s five alumni agency domains. We define it as the aspirations or aims that motivate a young person’s behavior and provide their life with a sense of meaning.
Purpose can help young people organize their activities, frame decisions, and direct their actions. It’s related to having long-term goals, but it’s not the same as choosing a profession or reaching a milestone.
“It is about realization,” Langston says. “It’s not something you achieve. It’s something you align yourself with.”
Ednium’s latest research, The State of Alumni Report, found that 57% of young adults who responded to Ednium’s survey draw meaning and purpose from friends and community, while 52% find it through family. And for 81%, making the world a better place is at least somewhat important.
About one-third of young people who responded to the survey conducted for The State of Alumni Report participated in an Ednium program. Compared with nonparticipants, they more often said they knew what was important to them, felt their daily activities aligned with their purpose, and were confident they could reach their long-term goals.
While that's worth noting, it's important to acknowledge that no single organization or program can provide someone with a sense of purpose.
What organizations and programs can—and should—offer is room to reflect, build relationships, work alongside community, and practice turning values into action. That can create opportunities for young people to define their sense of purpose more explicitly.
That happens on Backyard Brilliance, where guests have authentic and affirming conversations about what matters to them—and listeners, in turn, can recognize themes in their own lives or experiences.
“I do think purpose begins with self and really understanding ‘Who am I?’ and ‘What makes me feel fulfilled?’” David says.
Keep the Conversation Going
Although most people who responded to the survey conducted for The State of Alumni Report said they know what motivates them, fewer than one in four felt that most of their daily activities moved them toward their long-term goals or aligned with their purpose.
That tension—knowing what matters while trying to live in it—is present in many of the conversations on Backyard Brilliance. Purpose isn’t always a straight path.
When his own purpose feels unclear, David returns to three questions: “Who am I? Who are my people? Why am I here?”
Some answers may change over time, but the questions can guide you and keep you close to what matters. And while no one can answer them for you, sharing conversations about purpose is a meaningful step toward finding your own or returning to it.
Listen to Backyard Brilliance. Share an episode with someone who is navigating their own search for purpose. And if you have a story about what gives your life meaning, reach out to Ednium to join David and Langston on the podcast. Your story may be the one someone else needs to hear.
Purpose is different for everyone. It can change or evolve over time.
It can move us to share what we know, bring us back to our people, or inspire us to build something for those who come after us.
As Langston says, “Purpose is yours to seek, and it’s yours to keep.”