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.
Kim Waggoner, RN
after a stage 4 cancer dx, God reminded me of my favorite bible story of Joseph. He went ahead to help save the lives of others. also he stated.. what was meant for evil, God meant for good. I knew that the cancer diagnosis was an opportunity for me to help others learn how to heal. This is what I do now as a health coach. Read more>>
Ashley Hemmings
For a long time, I wanted to be animator. A cartoonist and a 3d animator. After leaving the navy I attended college, the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale which no longer exists. After getting my bachelor’s degree in media arts and animation. I sought an entry level position in my field of study to earn experience. But finding work in Florida for animators, especially South Florida is not easy. Read more>>
Lisa Creffield
I started a Self-Publishing community in Australia because I saw so many other authors, particularly authors with less technical ability and knowledge, getting ripped off by vanity presses. Many of these authors were dipping into savings to fund “publishing packages” that had no real hope of commercial return. I also felt that writing and publishing can be a lonely business, and wanted a way to bring people together. Read more>>
Melissa Pettograsso
How I found my purpose is more a tale of how I have come to see my worth. Self-limiting beliefs have plagued me my entire life. I struggled to see the beauty in anything I had to offer. I have always wanted to be someone of service to others, to leave a positive imprint on the lives around me. At 48 years old and for the first time in my life I can say, I am doing just that and it all came into focus, simply by skipping a stone. Read more>>
Karl Washington III
Finding your purpose means listening to the voice inside of you. It means paying attention to your gifts and talents and boldly taking risks. From the time I was a child, I have always had a love for art and illustration. At the heart of me was a creative person. I can remember sitting at the kitchen table for hours, working on a drawing I had to get just right. My mother’s voice said, “Give yourself a break and try again later.” Read more>>
Tanya Saunders
I’ve learned to love this question! I think purpose can take on several translations. I grew up in Michigan with immigrant parents from the Philippines. My “purpose” was to respect what they wanted or encouraged me to do which was just logical and practical, for example, study nursing because you can find a job anywhere, so I did. I moved to Chicago after I graduated and “adulted” there for a year before I went for my Master’s in Science to become a Nurse Anesthetist. Read more>>
Megan & Ben
Our purpose can be traced back to our time living in Bali, Indonesia. After graduating from college in 2020, we decided to move to Bali, where we ended up living for three years. It was in Bali that we truly embraced a holistic lifestyle, both physically and mentally. The vibrant culture and like-minded community around us were constant sources of inspiration, motivating us to become the best versions of ourselves. Read more>>
Sylvia & Santiago Garza
In 2017, my partner and I embarked on a life-changing journey to the breathtaking landscapes of Mt. Shasta, California. Little did we know that this trip would define our purpose and shape our future. As we explored the natural beauty of the area, surrounded by the majestic mountains and tranquil lakes, we had an epiphany. It was as if the energy of the place awakened something deep within us, igniting a passion that would alter the course of our lives. Read more>>
Joanna Ingram
Raised by parents who struggled to make ends meet and worked three jobs each, I internalized the idea that you had to work hard to make money. As the eldest of three sisters, I also took on the ‘good girl’ persona of following society’s expectations on what a career should look like, and I jumped into a graduate position at a leading advertising agency and worked my way up for over 20 years…never being truly happy or fulfilled, but sticking with it out of misguided loyalty to the ‘right thing to do’ and the belief that it was natural to work hard (to the point of exhaustion). My work ethic had always been based on a masculine drive of over-efforting and pushing. Read more>>
Chi Zhang
Through my college time of study, I realized that if I can only play a good sound on my own instrument, there is no way to convey the charm of music to more listeners besides myself, it will lose a lot of pleasure. And how to record the wonderful music in a more precise and delicate way, and how to better convey the emotions of musicians and producers have also become my considerations. Read more>>
Dr. Brita DeStefano
I found my professional purpose through my own personal experience in motherhood. I have been a pediatric physical therapist for over 13 years, yet it wasn’t until I had my own children that my entire outlook on my career changed. I now specialize in working specifically with infants throughout their first year of life from birth to their first steps. I recognized how overwhelming that stage is for new (and even experienced!) parents but also how important it is to recognize and intervene early when an infant is struggling with their development. Read more>>
Swinita Shah
Finding my purpose was a journey deeply rooted in personal experiences and a passion for making a difference. Growing up, I witnessed the challenges my sister, who has Down syndrome, faced within the education system. Watching my parents advocate tirelessly for her needs instilled in me a profound understanding of the importance of support and advocacy for individuals with special needs. Read more>>
Lisa Whealy
Where does your purpose come from? I am open to the notion of “what if?” and why play is what it is all about.
When I was six, my best friend and I loved a few things. Playing with our Barbies acting like they were cowgirls in the old west like in the John Wayne movie The Cowboys. John Wayne’s The Cowboys 50th Anniversary Full Panel
Our dreams turned to imagining a story like the film but with cowgirls as central characters. Read more>>
Lewis Johnson
Early on I saw that artificial intelligence could make possible a new type of personalized learning technology, that would help people learn much faster and better. It would make personalized learning available to everybody, not just the lucky few who can afford a personal tutor. My story is about making that vision a reality. In the process I found my purpose, which is to help people learn and realize their potential. Read more>>
Tong Wang
My purpose comes from my love of creation and my exploration of marvelous things and profound emotions. Initially, I simply enjoyed the process of painting, immersing myself in the world of colors and lines. Over time, I gradually discovered that whenever I picked up my brush, I could enter a world uniquely my own. In this world, I can bring to life on the canvas the fantastical and emotional scenes from my mind. Read more>>
Christopher Hartway, Jr.
I firmly believe that my purpose found me, I just had to flow with the journey. Since I was 8 years old, I have always been involved in the performing arts. I was born to a creative family. My mother is a writer, educator, and dancer of many disciplines, and my father is an author and multimedia designer specializing in all visual art forms. Read more>>
Ali Kaeini
I found my purpose as an artist by connecting deeply with my Persian heritage and cultural narratives that shaped my understanding of identity as an immigrant in the US and also childhood memories. My art became a way to explore these themes, particularly the impact of memory and history on contemporary Iranians. Over time, I realized that my purpose wasn’t just to create art but to use it to confront and reflect on the complexities of identity and cultural experience, while also sharing this journey through teaching and inspiring others. Read more>>
Kat Johnson
Finding a purpose is a Big Thing. And it’s not that one’s purpose won’t evolve over the years–certainly to be expected. But i can say I’ve found great purpose and satisfaction from not only being an active artist, but in expanding that desire to support other artists and promoting education and encouragement to the next generations. Read more>>
Jennifer DeRosa
It’s been a winding path for me. In college, I wanted to be an actor, an internship in casting quickly beat the desire to be the person auditioning in that room away. Luckily, my theatre program trained us with additional skills, my time working in the Costume Shop in school is ultimately what gave me my toe hold in the film industry. Read more>>
Kelly Oswald
I’ve always known that I wanted children in my life. I met my husband when I was 31. He is still surprised to this day that his being a father was something that attracted me to him, rather than ward him off. As our relationship grew, the desire to have a child of my own and his two wonderful kids also grew. Time progressed and we married in the fall of 2021, and we began being intentional with our practices to get pregnant. Read more>>
Summer Smith
A part of me always knew deep down that my purpose would come from helping others, but I never knew in what way. Growing up, I struggled with self-confidence and never felt comfortable in my own skin. This lack of self-assurance made me feel like I wasn’t good enough to help other people. However, everything changed when I embarked on my personal health and fitness journey. In an effort to transform my life, I committed to changing my health and body on my own. Read more>>
Hannah Davis
Some of my parents’ favorite stories to tell about me as a child include similar sentiment – I knew what I wanted from a young age and I was stubborn as all get-out. My family teases me about being the only 8th grader in the room of a college-planning seminar. Years early, I knew where I wanted to attend and I was determined to start preparing. They recall my determination as unwavering and at times (exhaustedly) relentless. Read more>>
Ellie McLaughlin
I grew up in a pretty typical “All-American” family. We were part of average-middle-class-white America. It was easy to blend in when I didn’t want to stand out, fairly intuitive to navigate my environment, and overall, life was predictable and felt safe. This fed my introverted soul and I had no complaints. When I wanted to rise up and be noticed, I knew how to do that. But when I wanted to slip through the cracks, blend into the scenery, or simply observe, I could do that too. The privilege of this position was completely lost on me. Read more>>
Donte Dodson
Purpose is super important to me, and as cliche as it sounds I found my purpose through struggle & hardship. My purpose is to use my voice to help motivate & inspire anybody that I can. We all go through our own problems & struggles & with social media a lot of people tend to hide the hardships & struggles because of what people might think. Read more>>
Nathalie Baret
Finding my purpose has been a journey deeply rooted in my early passion for music. From the age of about four, I was captivated by a mini-piano toy, spending hours playing it and imagining myself singing in front of large crowds. This early love for music was a strong indicator of my future path. Read more>>
Velmy Trinidad
Hello, my name is Velmy Trinidad. I have been taking dance classes since I was very little. When I was 13 years old, I told my mother and one of my dance teachers that I wanted to be a dancer. Nobody liked this and they advised me to study a university degree. As time went by, I was very sure that what I wanted was to dance. I never stopped dancing, I studied and continued dancing different styles. I had several jobs, in addition to offering dance classes to children. Read more>>
Alexandra (Alex) Thomas
I’ve had a lot of different interests in my life. As a kid I always loved geology, archaeology, forensic anthropology, interior design, zoology, veterinary science and photography; but my love for animals always lead me to want to be a vet. It was the one thing my entire childhood I thought for sure I would do for the rest of my life. I started volunteering in my local animal shelter’s vet office around age 13 and got to help take care of the animals and I really loved it. Read more>>
James Divine
God is our Creator, our Father, our Purpose. I start each day by spending time with Him in prayer for others and for myself. Then I study His word to us – the Holy Bible. It has words of wisdom that help me find that purpose. After this, then you have to implement what you learn. Each day, pour out into the world what you have learned. Read more>>
Nani Li Yang
First, let’s define the word “purpose.” I used to think of “purpose” as a passion, a career, or a thing to do. I saw movies of people pursuing and achieving something, and I thought that is what finding purpose looked like. I was wrong. I’m lucky in that I have known I wanted to be a filmmaker since I was a child. On the surface, telling an impactful story became my purpose. Read more>>
