Michelle's Entrepreneurial Journal

Creating a life of meaning is less about achieving impressive accomplishments and more about choosing what matters most and living in alignment with those choices. Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture reinforced this idea for me. He did not achieve his childhood dreams because life handed them to him easily, but because he lived intentionally. He understood that meaning comes from persistence, values, and how we respond to obstacles. His life showed that success is not defined by avoiding difficulty, but by staying committed to what truly matters, even when the path is uncomfortable.

I believe dreaming is essential because dreams reveal our priorities. They expose what we are willing to sacrifice for and what we are not. Without dreams, it is easy to drift into a life shaped by convenience, pressure, or comparison. Dreams give direction, but priorities determine whether those dreams are realistic or sustainable. A dream without aligned priorities eventually collapses under its own weight.

One of my deepest dreams has always been to have a family and be a present, intentional mother, while also using the skills God has given me to pursue excellence in the workforce. For a long time, I worried that these two desires conflicted. Society often frames success as an either/or choice. You are either fully devoted to work or fully devoted to family. I no longer believe that. I believe meaning comes from integration, not imbalance.

This dream is achievable because I am clear about my priorities. Motherhood is not something I want to fit in around work. At the same time, I do not believe God gives talents without purpose. I feel a responsibility to develop my abilities, contribute meaningfully, and pursue excellence professionally. The key is not doing everything, but doing the right things in the right order.

Priorities are what make a goal achievable or impossible. If work becomes my identity, this dream fails. If fear keeps me from using my skills, it also fails. Creating a life of meaning requires boundaries to protect what matters most. That means choosing work that aligns with my values, being willing to say no to opportunities that demand too much, and defining success on my own terms rather than the world’s.

A meaningful life is not built by accident. It is built by consistently choosing to live in alignment with values. If I stay grounded in those values, I believe it is possible to be both a devoted mother and an impactful professional, and to find real fulfillment in the balance between the two.