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Tamara Doerksen

Three lessons I didn’t expect to learn this week

Published 2 months ago • 2 min read

What This Week Taught Me

Every once in a while, a week arrives that teaches you more than you expected. This one did exactly that. Between representing The Salvation Army at Queen’s Park, chairing the Lonny’s Smile Annual General Meeting, and attending the Freedom Dinner for Fight4Freedom, I walked away with a few insights that landed deeper than I anticipated. I wanted to share the three that stood out.

1) Curiosity Opens Doors You Never Knew You Could Walk Through

This week I had the privilege of representing The Salvation Army at Queen’s Park and meeting with Solicitor General Kerzner’s office. It was a steep learning curve—government protocol, policy language, bill numbers, strategic asks of ministers—none of which I’m an expert in.

But I was reminded of something I think we often forget:

If you stay curious, ask good questions, and do your homework… you can rise to challenges you never imagined yourself capable of.

By the end of it, I actually felt a little like Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada the moment she surprises herself by remembering the Ambassador’s name and the woman he left his wife for. That quiet confidence of: “Okay. I can actually do this.”

And that confidence didn’t come from certainty—it came from willingness.

2) Every Experience Strengthens the Next One

Also this week, I chaired the Lonny’s Smile Annual General Meeting. It made me realize how differently I show up now compared to a year ago. Co-hosting the podcast, speaking in new forums, and holding space throughout the Uprooting Trafficking series have quietly built a new steadiness in me.
I felt grounded, present, and capable in a way that genuinely surprised me—almost as if something had shifted without me noticing, and I suddenly recognized, “I feel at home in this now.”

It reminded me that none of our experiences stand alone.
​They strengthen each other. They strengthen us.

3) Purpose is a Powerful Force

Last night, I attended the Freedom Dinner with my friend Rachelle in support of Fight4Freedom, and I was reminded again why this work matters.

A survivor told her trafficking story publicly for the first time.
Jessica Ortiz—International Associate Director of Fight4Freedom—spoke with such courage, faith, and conviction that it moved the entire room. She raises every dollar that funds her role so she can continue standing with survivors.

Her commitment is extraordinary.
Her passion is unmistakable.
Her purpose radiates through everything she does.

And I felt it again:
​Meaningful, purpose-filled work has a power nothing else can match.​
It wakes us up. It pulls us forward. It reminds us what we’re here for.

A Reflection for You This Week

If you’re journaling over the next few days, here are three prompts inspired by this week’s lessons:

  1. Curiosity:​
    ​Where am I being invited to learn something new—and what’s one small step I can take toward it?
  2. Growth:​
    ​How have my past experiences strengthened me for what I’m doing now? What evidence of growth can I notice?
  3. Purpose:​
    ​What work, cause, or relationship reminds me why I do what I do—and how can I stay connected to that purpose this week?

Hold these lightly. See what rises.

To curiosity and the doors it opens,

Tamara

20 Allister Avenue, Toronto, ON M1M3K9
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Tamara Doerksen

Multipath leader helping people live with purpose, courage, and clarity.

I’m here for the big-hearted dreamers building beautifully multi-passionate lives. As co-host of the Rooted in Purpose podcast and a Purpose Guide, I share real stories, honest conversation, and practical tools to help you create a career—and a life—that feels like all of you.

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