Ten Years Free: From Burnout to Empowerment and Authentic Purpose
- Curtis Taylor
- Oct 29
- 3 min read
Ten years ago, on October 30, 2015, I clocked out of my last full-time shift at Hermitage House Youth Services. I didn’t know exactly what would come next, but I knew one thing for sure—I was done giving away my time.
At that point, I’d been working between sixty and a hundred hours a week for five straight years. I told myself I was building something—and I was. I had invested nearly everything I earned (which sometimes literally equaled minimum wage) into three duplexes. Those investments represented more than property; they represented possibility.
I had decided to take my time back.
From Survival to Purpose -- From Burnout to Empowerment
During that season, I focused on friendships, fitness, travel, and volunteering. It wasn’t bad. In fact, for a while, it was great. My property portfolio grew to six duplexes and three houses, and my financial independence gave me the space to think. But over time, that same space began to stir something deeper.
My desire to live my purpose rose in me.
I realized that while I’d found a way to live comfortably, I hadn’t yet found a way to live meaningfully. I wanted to stop sitting on the sidelines giving advice no one asked for—and start walking beside people who actually wanted to grow. I wanted to become trained as a counselor—someone people could come to when frustration met potential, when disillusionment met possibility, and when they needed traction to begin creating the life they most wanted.
So I pursued my PhD. I founded Authentic Wellness & Empowerment. And I made it my mission to encourage and equip those who encourage and equip others.
A Lesson from David
My mentor in seventh grade wasn’t a teacher—it was my friend David, a high school junior. He didn’t sit me down for serious life talks. Mostly, we joked about random things and laughed through the awkwardness of adolescence. But he taught me one of the most important lessons anyone ever could.
You can have it all—and a bright future ahead—but it might never happen.
In April 1997, two weeks before his seventeenth birthday, David died from injuries sustained in a car accident. That moment left a mark that still shapes how I see life, purpose, and time. None of us are promised tomorrow, but we do have right now.
The Empowerment Challenge
Whether you’re sixteen and full of promise like David, or thirty-one and resetting your life like I was in 2015, the truth is the same: you have right now.
Make the most of it, regardless of what’s come or what may come next. Go from burnout to empowerment.
Here are a few ways to start reclaiming your own time and energy today:
Unplug for an evening. Step away from notifications, the scroll, and the noise. Go for a walk, make a meal, or call someone who matters.
Move your body. Run, stretch, dance, or lift something heavy. Movement is medicine.
Reflect. Journal about what drains you and what fills you. Ask yourself: Where is my time actually going?
Reconnect. Reach out to the friend, mentor, or family member you’ve been meaning to. Let them know you’re thinking of them.
Reinvest. Put your time or money into something that aligns with your values—whether that’s mentoring youth, restoring a Jeep, learning guitar, or joining a community effort that makes you proud of where you live.
Your Next Step Toward Empowerment
And if you feel ready to take the next step toward deeper purpose:
Schedule a counseling session — get traction toward the life you most want.
Volunteer with Authentic Wellness & Empowerment — use your strengths to lift others.
Donate to help us grow our impact — make empowerment accessible to everyone.
Life is short. Time is precious. Use it well—and use it with purpose. Go from burnout to empowerment!
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