"Everything is figure-out-able." When I first heard this phrase (truthfully) on a TikTok video, it struck me. This is it. This is the mindset I want to cultivate and use to approach both personal challenges and the societal problems we face. This is the motto I want to plaster on the walls of our workplaces to transform the panic, despair and apathy I often see into confidence, determination, and calm.Since earning my degree in philosophy, my career path has been anything but linear. The humanities don’t give us a step-by-step guide to life’s next moves, but, to be honest, neither do the hard sciences or any of the other “concrete” fields, right? When we get out into the world and have to decide what to do next, what makes us joyful, and, conversely, what gives us existential dread, there is no map to follow. We must forge our own way. I have always known what I care about: people, and, more specifically, how caring about people can make the world a better place. But translating this sentiment into action took time. I didn’t know what "real-world" skills I had to offer, but I discovered that my fondness for organization, structure, and a pinch of just-do-it impulsivity has been essential for actually getting things done in a world where there is a lot of talk and, sometimes, not enough action.Today, I aim to work with organizations that share my values—whose missions are compelling and whose leaders have a kind and thoughtful approach their work. My goal is to contribute to tackling the problems I believe are most pressing: 1. Ending unnecessary suffering due to poverty. We have enough basic resources for everyone, but we are not distributing them humanely.2. Reducing deaths of despair. We must give people tangible reasons to want to stay, not aphorisms about the beauty of life that bear no weight compared to the desperation they feel. Housing, education, opportunities, and medical care (including mental health) need to be affordable. 3. Bringing hope back in style. This is not a trite bullet I’m adding at the end to leave off on a happy note. If we don’t collectively learn to feel hopeful again, we won’t be able to solve these problems. Hope is critical. Cynicism is neither accurate nor helpful.We all know there is no playbook for fixing the problems we face, but I’m committed to figuring it out, and I hope we can work together to do so—one step, one project, one connection at a time.---Alex