Jared Sawyer to lead conference on defining your purpose

Nearly a year ago, Jared Sawyer Jr. was severely injured in a car accident in Decatur.

He was in the hospital for a week with a concussion and recovered at home for more than a month.

His doctors urged him to take it easy. No television. No reading. Nothing  “mind-stimulating.”

That was a tall order for Sawyer, who was constantly on the go.

Looking back, though, Sawyer considers those days in recovery to be among the best of  his life.

“I was able to hear the voice of God,” said Sawyer, a 20-year-old DeKalb County-based entrepreneur and preacher. “He reminded me what was most important,  what were my next steps and how to get it done. It all revolved around that one word, purpose.”

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Now Sawyer plans to bring that message to others.

He  recently published his fourth book, “Empower Your Purpose: 7 Keys to Achieve Success & Fulfill Your Destiny.”

On July 13 -14, he will hold the "2018 You Power Purpose Conference" at the Cobb Galleria Centre. The conference  is designed to empower and inspire people.

Speakers include civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who represented the families of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Tamir Rice; Desiree Ross of “Greenleaf”;  Mary-Pat Hector, national youth director of the National Action Network; author Korrie Morrow;and Zacharias Muhammad, founder of the Unite or Die Campaign.

“I want people to come and connect with their best selves,” said Sawyer, who wrote his first book when he was 15.

“A lot of people talk about empowerment, but they leave out enrichment,” he said. “We show people how to get it done and how to change your life.”

The conference targets people ages 11 to 35 years old.

“We feel that age range has the greatest potential,” said Sawyer, who will graduate from Morehouse College in 2019.

July 13-14, Cobb Galleria Centre, 2 Galleria Parkway S.E. $35 to $100. https://youpowerpurpose.org.