Not knowing why you are going wherever it is that you are going sounds silly, but so often folks live life without thinking about their purpose. We believe that thinking about your purpose and trying to identify what it might be is one of the most impactful things you can do to level up your life, career, and general level of happiness and fulfillment. Having a sense of what your why is will help you become a better decision maker which inevitably will improve your life. Below, you’ll find some interesting discussions, stories and perspectives around find your purpose.
Jayelisa Little
My purpose was discovered when I learned who I am in Christ Jesus. There are so many avenues to receive advice and influence from. After experiencing most of the things in this world, I realized that my identity and purpose can only come from The One who created me – God. After being tired of trying to do things my way, I began to read the Holy Bible and I paid attention to what I struggled with the most. Read More>>
Wendy Anderson
I have been slowly finding my purpose for many years but in late 2019 I was faced with this question on a much larger level. My mother-in-law had passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. “What am I doing with my life?” was a question that frequently came up. “How can I do work that is meaningful and fulfilling?” Little Wendy Bird started focusing on more custom memorial pieces and I worked on advertising that more. Grief and loss feel like hard things to have a business around, but what I found was that people just don’t want to feel alone. They don’t want their people to be forgotten. Read More>>
Jamar Rogers
I had this idea that discovering my purpose was the answer to all of my problems. If I could just figure out what I was supposed to be doing with my life, then (poof!) all of my anxiety would be gone. Depression would be a thing of the past! I’d walk with a little pep in my step because I’d have this inner compass and wouldn’t feel so rudderless. Read More>>
Shannon Anderson
I was one of those kids who figured out from a young age what I wanted to do. I even wrote in my high school diary that I would be an elementary teacher and write children’s books someday.
Some of the seeds that were planted, starting me on this path were a love of reading and writing, having little sisters to teach, working in the children’s section of the public library for my high school job, and helping my mom earn her GED. Read More>>
Spencer Nelson
I didn’t initially envision myself as a freelance graphic designer and business owner of Spenceless Designz. However, it was the faith and encouragement from both my family and strangers that kickstarted my journey and kept me going. Their belief in my abilities served as my driving force. It’s this support and the joy of expressing creativity that eventually led me to discover my true purpose in graphic design. Read More>>
MUKA
I believe this question has an infinitely evolving answer. Purpose, to me, is never just one thing at any given time. Some days, my purpose is just to exist. Some days, my purpose is to be the best artist I can be. Some days, it’s to be as selfless as I can be, etc. I’ve learned to not put any pressure on myself to find any one “purpose” in life because then I just feel stuck. When I first decided to become a professional artist, I painted myself into this box where that was what defined me. I felt like, “Well, I’m an artist and my purpose in life is to create” and so when I wasn’t feeling particularly creative or pumping out work, I felt lost. Read More>>
Nadine Robinson
In the aftermath of a challenging 2017, I discovered solace within the intimate confines of my journal. As I immersed myself in this sacred practice, I unearthed facets of my being that I had long neglected, attempted to escape from, or hidden away. Through this transformative journey, I witnessed a profound shift in my life and overall state of being. Read More>>
Vanessa Ferlaino
I believe that the question of finding our purpose is more of a spiritual discussion… in our conditioned society, it is easy for our passions to be misattributed into and out of us based on the beliefs of the dominant culture (ie. “mainstream” and typically referring to Western culture from here on in). Our purpose is within, so finding our purpose is really that inward journey and finding alignment with our intentions. Read More>>
Patty Myers
I found my purpose when my son was diagnosed with autism almost 20 years ago. I started helping him full-time and then got certified in ABA along the way. After that I started helping others and knew this was my calling, not just as a mom but as a school Director/Principal too. Read More>>
Marvin Isaac
I discovered my purpose through the journey of life, shaped significantly by the love and support of my family. However, it was the loss of a close friend that served as a profound catalyst, prompting me to delve into directing and photography as a means to capture and convey the profound beauty and fragility of existence. Read More>>
Danielle Gootman
I started my Instagram blog, @healthywithdani in March of 2020, during quarantine. This was the perfect time to start an Instagram blog because I was doing virtual school, and had a lot of free time at home. I wanted to have a place to share recipes, restaurants, and brands I love. I have been posting regularly on my Instagram account ever since. My goal and purpose for my social media is to inspire people to live a healthy, well-balanced life. I was able to find my purpose by exploring my passion for health, wellness and combining it with my passion for social media. Read More>>
Atlanta Alexandria
One of my favorite quotes is, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.’ -Ghandi. I believe at my core I am a natural born leader, but I understood that true fulfillment lied within me seeing a problem, finding a solution and being able to present it to the collective. I am a master cosmetologist by trade, the CEO of Alkhemi Herbal Tea Co, and host of Alkhemi HonesTea Podcast. Through my passions my purpose revealed itself to me. Read More>>
Clare Cunningham
One might say I found my purpose pretty early on in life. It was there from before birth! I knew I was destined to be a performer and it was evident it was my main passion as a child. Even at three years old I proclaimed I wanted to be a rockstar! I didn’t know anything else and went in the complete opposite direction as all my peers! Read More>>
Khadean Jackson
Hi, thank you for having me. I had a career I wasn’t passionate about. In my career I was able to make over 6 figures yearly but that didn’t matter. I remember at the start of my career I told one of my co worker “I’m only working here for maybe 10 years” sure enough in 2017 I sustained a injury on the job, one year later due to the injuries I sustained I was medically terminated. There were preventive measures that could’ve stop that from happening but it seems like it was that time. I later relocated to the state of Georgia I began seeking employment got some pretty good offers but the excitement and drive wasn’t there. Read More>>
Adrian Zuniga
I found my purpose at a young age when I found out I had the ability to draw cartoons fairly well. I always wanted to draw and bring joy to others with my artwork. Later in life, with the birth of my son around the corner, I started asking myself what did I have to teach my newborn baby. This is when I remembered my passion for cartooning and started drawing cartoons again and rediscovering my purpose. Read More>>
Cora Duke
I discovered my love of performing very young. Even long before I could be on stages, I was constantly performing for my family in my daily life. There are countless stories and videos of me as a small child hamming it up 100% of the time, it wasn’t long before I joined dance classes and discovered that everything on the radio could be a duet if I tried hard enough. I got my first guitar, looked up chords on the internet, and the my horizons got so much wider. Read More>>
Amy Voss
When we’re young, our purpose is to grow and learn. I feel like that remains constant throughout our life. However I also think that through every phase of life, our purpose can also change and become multi-faceted. I find purpose as a wife, as a mother and as an artist, but they are not all the same. As an artist, I want to create art that brings people joy. My creative process feeds that purpose. Read More>>
Devin John & Brandon Lee
From an early age, both of us shared a passion for music. Even more so, both of us had several family members who were musicians, sharing their knowledge and skills, guiding us in the art of playing our instruments. We both knew we wanted to be musicians since we were very young. Read More>>
Adebessi Charles Wong
I stumbled on my purpose by accident. What started out as adversity in my life has transitioned into purpose for
me. In May of 2017 I was diagnosed with stage 3
breast cancer, in my quest to destress and find
relaxation from all the complications and anxiety of
cancer and everything that came with it I stumbled
on a fascinating hobby “Making candles.” Read More>>
kayla enright
I find my purpose every day and find new purposes daily. I’m so excited where this skill will take me, especially as I continue to hone it and learn from the fantastic network I have in this industry. I’ve always wanted to see the world with my camera, and I am on a great path for that to be a reality very soon. It’s exciting. The more I love what I do and continue to work hard at this passion of mine, the more successful I am. Read More>>
Kelby Joseph
It’s interesting because I truly believe that, for most people, finding their purpose comes when they prioritize others and recognize the value of their contributions to the world. While my initial dream was to become a film producer and tell stories, something didn’t quite resonate with me. Despite making a few movies, the outcome wasn’t as fulfilling as I had hoped. Was I mistaken about my purpose? Had I put in all that effort in vain? Read More>>
Niasia Veasley-Johnson
When I was in high-school I was in the engineering academy. From being little I was always intrigued about how things were made, how they worked, were built, and the ideas behind inventions + creations. In the academy we were introduced to all the fields of engineering and the week to learn programming robots came. At that moment I thought I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It wasn’t until later I realized that moment I had been completely wrong. Read More>>
Maggie Strope
So like most people, it was driven by a factor that had me acknowledge that nothing would change unless I myself took the initiative to make the changes! POV: It was November 2019. I was having the BEST time of my life with some close friends and the new hubby in Nashville. Everything was perfect! Only drawback… my energy! It was so low & believe it or not, I was at the heaviest of my life at that time frame and I felt the urge to make some lifestyle changes if I wanted to feel more confident in the future Read More>>
La’Ketta Caldwell
From the tender age of three, my journey into the world of purpose began with delicate dance steps in a ballet studio, an initiation orchestrated by my mother. The arts, in all its forms, became my sanctuary, a canvas where my young heart could weave tales and emotions. Read More>>
Steven Lafferty
Throughout my life purpose was often something I struggled to find. I came to realize that I sought purposefulness in all the wrong places. Through trial and error, I found it begins with the thoughts that run through my head, and my very essence. The foundation of everything I create in the world begins with me. It is sometimes overwhelming to accept that what you experience in life is primarily a result of your perception and how you interact with the world as it is presented to you. Rakers is a great example of focusing thought with intention and commitment to bring forth something new into the junk market. Read More>>
Kezia Shine
In hindsight, I guess I have always known my purpose from when I was very little. Intuitively, I have always felt different. If I follow the breadcrumbs backward, it all begins to make sense. Back when cassette tapes were a thing, I would listen to Tracy Chapman, Phil Collins – another day in paradise, etc. Always wondering why humanity was so broken and mean. I was always in tune with others’ feelings and energy, although back in the day, I didn’t realize it was a superpower. Read More>>
Michael Ward Jr.
My purpose is driven by my Christian faith which calls us to spread God’s love. I grew up watching my grandma and mom spread God’s love by helping those in need; they were always giving away something (i.e. backpacks for kids, toiletries for the needy, or feeding the hungry). Growing up watching my family provide for those in need gradually developed the desire inside of me to help those in need, as well. Decades later through the nonprofit, tech startup I’ve built, Austin Urban Technology Movement, I help people every day by providing them with job training, job placement, and networking opportunities. Read More>>
Carol Linnee
As a child, I have always had a strong passion for animals. From rescuing turtles with my father as a child, to working at various animal hospitals while receiving my bachelor degree of Biology at Grand Valley State University, animals have remained close to my heart. Read More>>
Julia Lechner
One day I met a really shy geologist who was fascinated by local watersheds in the area. I asked him a few questions about his work, and he was off to the races. Someone who is typically introverted, and didn’t always have a lot of people asking about his passion, truly lit up when talking about his work and answering my follow-up questions. Read More>>
Law Bullock
I love this question because truthfully, despite the near twelve years of being a spoken word artist; I’m still witnessing the full picture of my purpose manifesting. I do know for a fact that art is a giant part of it because it has given me so much focus. Ever since I first shared my first poem back in 2012 all the way to now; I’ve found so much of myself through this platform. Read More>>
Decheng Cui
The purpose of my work is to use it to fight fear from death. Since the demise of the flesh is inevitable, then I can only find ways to plant the fragments of my soul among human civilizations, to root it to console myself. Therefore, it is unimportant to me that what kind of art language I use, and it play a whole key role in my work that what kind of my concept, my soul, in it. For me, whether it’s art creation, gallery operation, or teaching, they are all ways for me to communicate my ideas to others. Read More>>
Valerie Pappas Llauro
Like many people in history, my purpose was thrust upon me in the most unpredictable manner, filled with grief, emotion, and a feeling of great desperation. In 2011, our beautiful five-year-old son, Alexander, who we thought was perfectly healthy, was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy – something we had never heard of. Duchenne is a muscle-wasting genetic disease that deteriorates all the muscles over time, including the heart and the lungs, and there is no cure. It occurs mainly in boys, and they usually lose ambulation by the time they are 11 years old. Read More>>
Brandy Hall
When I was young, my mom and stepdad were poisoned by the herbicides and pesticides they used on their conventional plant nursery in South Florida, which led to life-threatening allergic reactions for years. I’ve seen the pitfalls of conventional landscaping and agriculture practices firsthand and want homeowners to know there is another way. Read More>>
Elizabeth Schowachert
Finding my purpose was a gradual journey that unfolded over several years. It revolved around embracing my passion for creating art and art tools and mustering the inner determination to pursue it. This wasn’t a straightforward decision, especially considering my extensive 23-year career in brand development and corporate marketing. It entailed taking substantial financial risks and putting myself in the spotlight, despite lacking the formal training and education that many professional artists possess. Read More>>
Dalton Turner
I remember watching movies, music videos, etc. and thinking that they were missing something. I didn’t know what the right terms were and I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was I thought they were missing. Over time I started teaching myself how to write, how to use a camera, how to direct, how to edit, and everything in between. I was instantly hooked. Being able to take ideas that I could see in my head and show them to others through my cinematography was extremely fulfilling, and over time I started to develop my own unique, unconventional style. Read More>>
Darrell Wallace
They say you don’t choose music, music chooses you. I started singing as soon as I could talk and I haven’t stopped since. I learned to play guitar on a balsa wood guitar with nylon strings at the age of 13. I did not get my first real guitar until I was 16 which I still have today. So, it was a foregone conclusion that I would end up in the music industry, just didn’t know what form it would take. Read More>>
Tony Sherock
Purpose seems to come from past experiences. Typically they’re created from struggles and barriers a person has to overcome and it changes them for the better. I put the mindset work in, the inner work to not look at challenges as “it’s happening to me” but instead “It’s happening for me, and how can I learn from this?” Read More>>
Regan Steinert
With my past in struggling with mental health, self worth issues and addiction, I found myself in a very dark place with little to no hope. I was put into an adolescent recovery program and multiple types of therapy and support groups at the age of 17. It took a lot of hard work but eventually I found light at the end of the tunnel. I was finally able to love myself and have gratitude for the people and things in my life. Going through these difficult times made me realize how much I hated seeing those around me struggling without being able to find a way out. I became dedicated to helping others heal and find happiness because I couldn’t stand the thought of anyone feeling as low and worthless as I once did. Read More>>
Drew Elaine
My grandmother is an artist, incredible painter. Growing up she made art a big part of our life by showing my sisters and I the importance of creating something. We would always be painting, and I HATED it. I was awful. I couldnt draw, I couldnt paint, I felt I was bad at everything she handed us but on the other hand I had this burning desire to be creative and I always felt like I had something right in front of me and I couldn’t figure out what it was. In my late highschool days when Instagram became big I was OBSESSED with it, Read More>>
Monica Isis Ibarra
Initially, I was seeking credentials to sustain a life. As a young woman, that brought me deeper into the Midwest, where I believed meritocracy was real. The harder you work, the more valuable compensation and worthiness you would be to sustain a good life. Read More>>
Shaina DeFusco
I have been in education for 15 years and taught at a variety of schools. I have taught at an International Baccalaureate School in Chicago. I have taught at a Full Inclusion Charter School in Los Angeles. I have also taught at a Reggio Inspired Private School in Playa Vista. and for the last 4 years I was an Instructional Coach for a local school district. Teaching is my passion. connecting with families helps me find my purpose. being a role model for every student no matter ability or disability is what gets me up every morning. Read More>>
Kathy Butler
Let’s be honest. Finding purpose is often difficult because we are ever-evolving beings. We also don’t live in a vacuum so we are impacted by outside forces. Be it the socialization of our parents; the expectations of family and friends, or the pressures of society to constantly prove our value, credibility and relevance. So for me, I have found my purpose in leaning into all my gifts and understanding that whatever I am doing, I am called to make a difference in the lives of those I touch. Read More>>
Carleek Owens
My freshman year I was gearing up for my first season of college soccer when I found out I would not be cleared to play. I had some transcript issues that was taking forever to get me cleared but on top of that, my EKG test showed a heart murmur that they wanted to make sure was fine for me to play. That also took forever. So one day my team was out of town playing in a game and I was leaving out of a computer lab when I saw that they were holding auditions for a showed called, “You Can’t Take It With You,” I had done a little bit of acting at home as a kid and would write little scripts and make my cousin and sister perform them with me for my mom, so I thought, why not? It had always been on my mind, but being an athlete always came first. Where I am from, sports is pretty much everything, especially as a kid, so for that reason I was hesitant to attend the audition. Of course I ended up going, I had nothing better to do. Read More>>
Tomell Brown
As early as 2 years old per my mother, Delilah Pam, I have been singing. At the age of 9 my poem writing turned into songwriting, and that’s when I wrote my first song. I discovered I had a unique gift after singing a solo in church at age 5. As I was singing, many people were moved to tears, leaving the church congregation astounded, standing on their feet and applauding. That performance sparked invitations for me to sing at churches, talent shows, and other events locally in my hometown of Syracuse, New York. That trend of encore performances sparked my purpose and continue to use my voice and words to make people feel good or happy. Read More>>
Victoria Marie Malone
My purpose has always found me. When I have been guided by ego or my own thoughts of purpose and accomplishment I have fallen short.
And for a long time I tried doing it that way, over and over again. I “thought” I could logically and strategically find my purpose. I “thought” if I earnestly sought my purpose I would be enlightened by this Read More>>
Stephanie Dreyer
I found my purpose by accident! As a struggling new vegan with a non vegan family, I started a blog to share my plant-based lifestyle and connect with others in the community. Over time, I gained expertise in feeding my family of 5 with one meal, despite our dietary differences. I started to get asked to teach classes and share my tips. I also began writing articles for other magazines and other blogs at this time. I loved sharing recipes and strategies for meal planning and prep. I was just doing my best to serve and help people, while doing what I love — make delicious plant-based food for my friends and family. Read More>>
