And from that sacred center of authenticity, the heart opens wide to its highest purpose: to be of service.

Service has been the bedrock of my life — not in grand, shining moments, but in the quiet ones. Much of my work has involved supporting young people carrying burdens far beyond their years. I’ve sat with students navigating academic pressure, family responsibilities, and silent battles they didn’t yet have words for. In those tender moments, I learned that service is often simply presence — listening without judgment, responding with empathy, and offering solutions that balance care with responsibility. 

There have been other times when service meant stepping into community needs with urgency and heart. When African refugees and asylum seekers arrived in Toronto facing immediate housing challenges, many of us acted quickly. We used our networks and platforms to help families find stability and safety. It wasn’t about heroics — it was about humanity. Their resilience reminded me how interconnected we all are, and how even small, coordinated acts of kindness can shift a person’s entire trajectory.

Service has also shown up in the moments without fanfare — being a listening ear to someone in crisis, showing up quietly for a friend in pain, offering counsel when confusion eclipses clarity. These intimate, often unseen gestures are where service deepens the soul. They remind me that compassion is not an event; it is a way of moving through the world.

True service doesn’t drain us; it replenishes. It opens what I call an existential portal — a spiritual pathway that expands both the giver and the receiver. When we choose compassion over convenience, we create a ripple that stretches beyond the moment. Each offering becomes a sacred exchange of grace: we uplift others, and in the process, we are lifted too.

So often we search for purpose as though it’s hidden somewhere far beyond our reach, when in truth, it’s right where we are — waiting to be revealed through the ways we care for one another. Each act of service, no matter how small, is a sacred declaration: I see you. I value you. I am here with you.

Our community understands this truth. We come from a lineage of servant-leaders — from well-known trailblazers who fought for our visibility to the quiet elders who check on neighbours, feed families, and keep the flame of love lit. Their lives teach us that purpose is not measured by what we accumulate, but by what we contribute.

So stand in your truth. Let your gifts, your voice, your compassion serve the world. When you move in love, the universe moves with us. And in that divine movement, we discover a freedom so sacred, so luminous, it can only be described as grace — the grace of being of service.