Brett Cooper Emphasizes Gratitude, Purpose, and Resilience in AmFest 2024 Speech
By: Hayden Cunningham
Brett Cooper delivered a heartfelt and inspiring speech at AmFest 2024, in which she discussed the importance of gratitude, purpose, and resilience at a time of constant political unrest.
Reflecting on her first political event—Turning Point USA’s Young Women’s Leadership Summit (YWLS) three years ago—Cooper expressed gratitude for how the organization provided her with community and purpose during a challenging time. Cooper shared that her conservative views led to the loss of friendships and her college sorority membership, but an invitation to YWLS offered her a new direction.
“These events, what you guys are doing today, they gave me my best friends,” Cooper said. “They gave me the confidence and the tools to get in the fight.”
Cooper spoke candidly about the emotional toll of the political climate and how she learned to find joy and hope amid the chaos. She warned of the “fallacy of external fulfillment,” emphasizing the importance of not relying on external achievements, such as political wins or career milestones, for personal fulfillment.
“True, lasting fulfillment and resilience more importantly does not come from external forces. It comes from within,” she explained. “It comes from living a life that is grounded, that is steady, and that it is aligned with your values and your purpose.” She also credited her transformation to advice from figures like Jordan Peterson, who have stressed the importance of personal order and discipline.
Cooper referenced her “turbulent” childhood and how at 14 years old, her mother gave her a journal to list things she was grateful for daily. She acknowledged that the practice may sound “silly,” but admitted that it was “transformative” and changed her outlook on life.
“Gratitude literally rewires your brain to focus on goodness and joy,” Cooper stated. “It builds resilience in the process. It shifts your perspective helping you navigate even the most chaotic of times like we are living in.”
Cooper repeatedly stressed the importance of gratitude and how it is essential to making a person feel fulfilled and have a life purpose. She also encouraged gratitude for the freedoms and stability Americans often take for granted, contrasting them with the struggles faced in other nations.
“For me, purpose is waking up every single day with the goal of making the world a little more sane,” she said. “It is the determination to one day be able to tell my future children that I stood firm in my beliefs. That I was not bullied into silence. That I fought to make the world better and that I did it joyfully… because it mattered.”
“That is the kind of purpose that makes you literally unshakeable… that keeps you rooted.”
Cooper concluded by emphasizing the importance of faith, family, and community as anchors in life.
“Our values, our faith, our families, are the bedrock of our lives, they are the constants that keep us grounded amidst the chaos. They are our anchors that remind us who we are and why we fight for what we do,” she declared.
“So when the world feels uncertain, when people let you down, remember that it is not these fleeting moments or fleeting figures that define you,” Cooper concluded. “It is the legacy that you build through your actions, through your convictions, and through the love that you cultivate with those around you. That is the foundation of your life. That is what you should be investing in every single day.”
Watch full speeches from all AmFest speakers on the Turning Point USA YouTube Channel.
