Kareem Puranda

I think the need for love and success are universal but our experiences distinguish how we achieve them. Experiences are like hands that mold clay. They shape who we become. All of us are being molded right now by our experiences. Many people tend to categorize these experiences as mistakes, traumatic, a waste of time, or generally good and bad. We all have experiences and regardless of the context I think we tend to categorize them incorrectly. In my worldview, experiences are none of the above, instead, they are opportunities to learn and grow!

Where does inspiration come from? Is it initiated by our environment or does it begin from within? I often find reasons to ask myself the questions that I do not readily have the answers to. Such as, why did I have to go through that in order to learn this? Whatever this or that may be, it was important for my development as a person. It provided me with the clues of what direction I needed to commit too and which directions I needed to avoid. One universal trait all humans share is that we were created to contribute to others. How we contribute depends on the gifts and clues that the Creator of the universe allows us to understand. Perhaps He does not allow us to know all things pertaining to our purpose for the simple fact that we would try to change the work He predestined according to His perfect will.

I became inspired to blog about this topic after witnessing a cohort, who we will call “A”, emotionally break down behind closed doors after working with a client. During the session “A” held it together and gave no indication that a crisis was taking place in her personal life. Yet in our conversation “A” revealed how much of a struggle it was for her to remain focused because of the personal issues she was undertaking. I can only imagine the strength it took to remain committed to the client while coping with the personal problems. On that day “A” and I shared silence for the hurt she was experiencing. The silence allowed her to process and somehow laughter began to take place.

During my career as a police officer I recall moments when compassion and a second chance were warranted. It was through law enforcement that I realized character is not always accurately reflected by a criminal record or a bad decision. I have learned that people function according to their level of awareness. If people do not have access to information or resources conducive to awareness, then, they become students of trial and error.

Can counselors find a niche in between these polarities? The common thread between these entities is the affirming of community trust. From a historical standpoint I think criminals and police officers share similar ideologies relative to their context…. both believe the other is the adversary, at times both consider each other a gang, both are willing to use deadly force, both are constantly thinking of ways to perform their jobs better and the list continues. If you can come up with anymore commonalities please feel free to cue them in the comments.