By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Writer

acadet@tribunemedia.net

With all that has happened over the last 13 months, Antonia Lightbourne believes it is time to remind people “to live; don’t just exist. Choose life.”

And this is also the theme for her organisation’s activities during the month of April.

Her Purpose Awareness group is advocating for Bahamians to look beyond the pain, loss, disappointment, fear and anxiety, and attempt to embrace life again.

Purpose Awareness Month, she told Tribune Woman, is an initiative that emerged out of a great desire and to share the message of purpose. She believes the definition of purpose is simple yet very profound; it is the reason why something or someone exists. The discovery of purpose, she added, can be both prevention and cure for many societal ills.

This initiative, launched in April 2016 as Purpose Awareness Week, was relaunched as Purpose Awareness Month in April 2017 when the organisation received a proclamation from the Prime Minister of the Bahamas.

Over the years Antonia has celebrated under themes like “I Am Here”, “Discover”, “Unleash”, and “Legends”. This year, the theme “Live” will be hosted in collaboration with the title sponsor, Showman Bahamas Ltd. Purpose Awareness team members include LaQuisha Wallace, Kristoff Rolle, Janiqua Armbrister, Jade Williams, Felecia Burrows and Rayandra Nairn.

“We are excited to have received the Proclamation from the Prime Minister, Dr Hubert Minnis, declaring April 2021 as National Purpose Awareness Month and April 29, 2021 National Purpose Awareness Day. Our organisation is known for hosting events that are aimed at empowering and helping individuals find and fulfil their life’s purpose and answer the question ‘Why am I here?’ We have been able to touch the lives of many, particularly through our social media blasts where individuals have been able to share their purpose stories by using our branded Purpose Awareness frames each year,” said Antonia.

Also among the group’s initiatives is the “Purpose on my Campus” programme through which they host school tours and share the message of purpose with students all across the country.

“We also host our ‘Purpose in Pompey’ event in Pompey Square where we honour persons that are unapologetically walking in their purpose,” said Antonia.

“We truly believe that it is vital that we pause and thank persons who are selfless and who dedicate their lives to giving to those whom they have been called to serve.”

Purpose Awareness kicked the month off with its Purpose Discovery Session on April 9, where Simmone Bowe and Antonia led an in-depth discussion on ways in which people can discover their life’s purpose. Additional events focused on the topic “Empowered to Live” and were led by Nyisha Tilus and Shakeisha Johnson, and Ricardo Miller from Arlington, Texas. These sessions took place on April 10 , 16 and will culminate on April 23 .

“We will also host our first Teens in Purpose seminar under the theme ‘Live in Purpose’ and our speakers for this event are Kerel Pinder of Freeport and Sandena Neely, Brunay Clarke and Shaquille Hanna of Nassau. This seminar will be hosted by Blandicah Cadet, a teen currently attending college in Lynchburg, Virginia,” said Antonia.

“We will have our ‘Make Me Coral’ purpose chat with makeup artist Jasmine Taylor, who will be sharing her story of choosing to live and her journey in the beauty industry. We will also be highlighting the stories of Delisa Ferguson, Erin Brown and Gregory Cash who all have powerful stories of choosing to live. We will close out Purpose Awareness Month with our Coral Table Talk on April 30, which will consist of a panel of dynamic, influential individuals who have decided to live and whose lives have been echoing this message of purpose. This year, we will be honouring Darranique Stuart, Gillian Curry-Williams, Felecia Carey, and Sharad Jones at this year’s ‘Purpose In Pompey’.”

Antonia believes it is pertinent that individuals always understand how powerful they are.

“We often find ourselves feeling as if we are just here to merely exist and live a regular, mundane life, but there is so much more. This year especially, I want to challenge people to really live in purpose,” she said.

“I am also looking forward to all of the events that we have planned and the impact that this year’s Purpose Awareness Month will have on all individuals that will participate. As the year continues, we are looking forward to travelling to the Family Islands to continue spreading the message of purpose. We will also host more empowering events and we plan to launch a purpose magazine, highlighting persons who are walking in their purpose.”