Meet Garrett!

He is a recent college graduate who now works in corporate America, specifically as a digital marketing professional. Aside being a businessman he is passionate about his faith in God, being a dependable friend, rollerblading, encouraging openness and honesty, and bananas. Few people are as humble and friendly as Garrett, and if you do not know him, you are missing out! 

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Garrett for a very long time — we were high school classmates and had class together all four years, predating when I stumbled upon my passion for portrait photography. Garrett recalls having conversations in high school about my interest in the power of human stories (I used to do “Humans of Minneapolis” on my instagram, highlighting my favorite aspects of some of my favorite people). That said, featuring Garrett as one of my first guests on The Purpose Profiles is a massive privilege and a very gratifying full circle. I’m so thankful he is willing to support my goal of combining story with photography. Garrett has one heck of a story and a whole lot of wisdom to share, from dealing with life when plans don’t pan out the way you want them to, recovering from breakups, trusting in God’s plan even when it’s hard.

Everyone faces doubt, fear, challenges, etc. What's something you have overcome or are facing right now in your life?

Garrett:

“Recently, my long-term relationship suddenly came to an end. This left me with a lot of questions about myself, the relationship, and my future, especially during such a massive transition period in my life. I thought I could count on this relationship. But once that material part of my life became shaky, I turned to my faith, as God is the only thing that is 100% stable, constant, and always dependable in my life.

To cope with these unexpected changes, I’ve had to fully trust God and have faith in Him that His plan and His timeline are far greater than mine. I don’t understand why it happened, but I do understand that God works everything out if we remain in Him. 

Another lesson I learned from the breakup was how God's plan will run its course. I did not want that relationship to end, but it wasn't up to me. I knew God had something in store for me, but I didn't know when or what it entailed. I had to trust God with my future and that His plan is far greater than mine. It's been hard for me to come to terms with everything, but I know that God is powerful and His knowledge infinitely surpasses mine. 

It's all perspective, too. Maybe God ended my relationship early because he knew it wasn't going to work out, and he didn't want me to be even more hurt/invested.”

I also asked Garrett to reflect upon the things he wish he could go back and tell his younger self. 

Garrett:

“I want to share wisdom/advice to guys and girls in their late teens and early 20's. Partying isn't everything. It's barely even something. Yes, it's definitely fun at first, but then you realize how pointless it all is. It's also puts a massive dent to the old bank account. There's just so much more to life than getting drunk and partying in a dirty, unfinished basement next to strangers who won't even remember that moment. Go travel to a new city, go join a club on something you're interested in, try that activity you've always          been curious about. Trust me, many people are searching for different activities to do. Personally, I've never regretted a night that I stayed in or didn't go out.”

What precipitated this change?

Garrett:

“Ultimately, I started to evaluate who I surrounded myself with, as that usually dictates what type of activities you do or how you spend your time. I noticed that my friends and I valued different things in life as well as had some different outlooks on life in general. I knew that some of my friends' paths in life were not some I wanted to go down. Instead, I decided to look into transferring to a Christian school, Liberty University, where I would be able to surround myself with like-minded people who shared the same core values as me. I also wanted to make life-long friends who I could introduce to ANYONE without being embarrassed or having to give them a pep talk to act appropriate. Once I made the decision to surround myself with positive people, I started to see positive changes in myself, with how I acted, the words I used, and how I spent my time on the weekends. Transferring to Liberty University was easily one of the best decisions in my life, and I am so thankful to have met some of my closest and genuine friends there.”