Move with purpose | Romanah Buchanan | TEDxAstonUniversity

Quick Overview

Romanah Buchanan argues that true purpose is found not by chasing external success or avoiding challenges, but by intentionally 'stretching' beyond comfort zones, pivoting when necessary, and actively engaging with the world through creativity and collaboration, as demonstrated by her own journey founding Eloquent Dance.

Key Points: Buchanan advises against confusing busyness with purpose, suggesting that constant activity often masks a lack of clear direction. She recounts a personal crisis moment in May 2024 after the birth of her second child, where she questioned her purpose after leaving a full-time teaching job to pursue her business, Eloquent Dance. The speaker outlines a five-step theory for moving with purpose, which includes 'Stretch,' 'Pivot,' 'Leap,' 'Pause,' and 'Recharge/Heal.' The biggest personal pivot for Buchanan was becoming a mother while simultaneously building her six-figure dance organization, Eloquent Dance, which supports youth development. She emphasizes that rising above challenges requires leaning into what she calls 'Creative, Collaboration, Connection, Community, and Culture' rather than stopping or procrastinating. Buchanan challenges the audience to step out of their comfort zones and re-evaluate their goals, rather than waiting for life to force a change.

Context: Romanah Buchanan, Founder of Eloquent Dance, delivers this TEDx talk at TEDxAstonUniversity under the theme 'Rethinking Tomorrow.' She shares her personal narrative surrounding the struggle to balance entrepreneurship, motherhood, and vocational calling, using her experience to illustrate a five-step framework for intentional living and purposeful action in the face of life's inevitable crises.

Detailed Analysis

Romanah Buchanan begins by challenging the common confusion between being busy and having purpose, asking the audience to reflect on their own decisions made under pressure. She shares a critical, traumatic event that occurred in May 2024: giving birth to her second child, which resulted in him being taken to intensive care, forcing her to stop her relentless pursuit of business goals, including her full-time job as a Maths teacher and building her six-figure dance organization, Eloquent Dance. This moment of crisis forced her to ask what her actual purpose was, leading her to develop a five-step theory for moving with purpose: Stretch, Pivot, Leap, Pause, and Recharge/Heal. She explains that stretching means moving beyond the comfort zone, pivoting means changing direction when necessary (like she did when she left teaching), and pausing allows one to reflect and strategize rather than procrastinate. Buchanan frames this process as essential for growth, noting that her organization has since grown significantly by embracing these principles, fostering job creation, skill development, and leadership within the community. She concludes by urging the audience to proactively choose to stretch and align with their purpose rather than waiting for external life events to force a realignment.