the paradox of privilege and purpose

There’s a guilt that comes with privilege. A quiet, nagging voice that whispers, Why you?

Why do you get the opportunities, the education, the safety nets that others don’t? Why do you get to chase purpose when so many are just trying to survive?

For a long time, I wrestled with this. I still do.

Growing up, I moved across six different countries, navigating cultures, languages, and perspectives that constantly challenged my worldview. I saw both ends of the spectrum, opulence and struggle, comfort and instability. It made me hyper-aware of how life isn’t fair, how some people are born into circumstances that make success an uphill battle, while others are given a head start.

And I knew, undeniably, that I had a head start.

The Weight of Awareness

When you recognize your privilege, it stops being invisible. It becomes a weight you carry, a responsibility, an obligation.

But let me be clear—being privileged is not a burden. It’s not a challenge. I’m not about to sit here and say, Wow, having access to education and opportunity is so hard on me. That would be tone-deaf and delusional.

What I am saying is that privilege propels me. It pushes me to not let it go to waste because the worst thing I can imagine is wasting the opportunities I’ve been given.

I think about the people who never got the chances I did. The people who are just as capable, if not more, but were never given the same doors to walk through. And it makes me feel like I owe something to the world, like I need to earn the opportunities I’ve been given.

The Fear of Wasting It

There’s a fine line between gratitude and guilt. Gratitude motivates; guilt paralyzes. And I don’t want to be paralyzed by guilt, I want to do something with it.

But here’s the paradox:

Privilege should push us toward purpose, but it shouldn’t make us afraid of taking up space. It shouldn’t make us question whether we deserve to be here, or if we’ve done enough to justify what we have.

Because the truth is, sitting in guilt doesn’t help anyone.

What matters is what you do with privilege. Whether you use it to amplify voices that go unheard, to create something bigger than yourself, to make space for others who wouldn’t otherwise have it.

So, I keep chasing purpose. Not just for me, but for the people who never got the chance to.

Because privilege isn’t just about what you’re given, it’s about what you give back.