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.
Mark Harris
Upon first visiting the Anasazi ruins of the ever-majestic and magnificently-beautiful Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde at the tender age of 6, I told my parents I wanted to be an ‘Architecture’ – not knowing the difference between an Architect and a work of Architecture. Read More>>
Lynn Taylor
After spending long days on shoots in the sun and being obsessed with skin and sun protection, I couldnt understand why I could not find a stylish sun umbrella that was made of silk. Fast forward to creating the first Penelope Parasol with the last umbrella maven in NYC, Gilbert Center whom lovingly created the first samples. Read More>>
Charles Pigott
I found my purpose over time. It began with overcoming my own personal struggles. At 26 I was diagnosed with cirrhosis due to my struggles with alcoholism and was given an ultimatum: die, or change everything. My journey towards sobriety began on April 3rd, 2018, and with it a serious effort to eat better and exercise. Read More>>
Vladimir Tsakanyan
I found my purpose by realizing that cybersecurity isn’t just about technology — it’s about shaping policies that protect societies, foster trust, and strengthen international cooperation. Understanding the real-world impact of digital risks showed me that my work could make a meaningful difference, and that’s what drives me every day. Read More>>
Kameesha Pascoe
To me purpose isn’t something that you find but you Become . Though it took many trial and error moments then seeping down the road of self-discovery; I learned that my passion grew into something bigger than me for only me to fulfill . While I Quickly developed a strong passion to tell deep and meaningful stories that can resonate with the masses. Read More>>
Victoria Nelson
I Didn’t Change Careers. I Clarified One. I did not grow up wanting to work in fashion or media. As a child in Russia, I was preoccupied with questions of fairness. Who gets protected. Who gets ignored. Why some people are allowed to take up space while others learn, very early, to stay quiet. Read More>>
Jerry John Delcano
I found my purpose through experiencing life around me. My experiences since childhood have led me to the calling of holistic healing through massage therapy. Massage has always been part of Filipino culture, but it has never been fully acknowledged. Read More>>
Bob Gherardi
Since I was a kid, I’ve always been drawn to images that wake something up inside me. It usually starts with the craftsmanship—wondering, how could someone create something so beautiful, so complex, so imaginative? That’s how it all began for me. I wanted to do that. Could I do that? And with a bit of early success, I just kept chasing it. Read More>>
Vanessa K. Harper 
I don’t think my purpose was something I discovered all at once. It emerged slowly through lived experience, revealing itself gradually over my lifetime, and most notably over the past twenty years. I’ve always been drawn to stories; first through writing, then through photography, documentary film, and oral history. Read More>>
Kaitlyn Lackey
As an equestrian and long time animal lover, I initially wanted to be a veterinarian when I grew up. But after sustaining 3 head injuries from riding horses, modern medicine “failed me.” This was my turning point. After suffering several years with headaches and migraines. I was told there wasn’t anything that could be done other than pain medication and a “watch and wait” approach. Read More>>
Rebecca White
I have been an artist for as long as I can remember, since preschool, when I first picked up a crayon and realized creating made me feel alive. That early spark stayed with me and eventually led me to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design. Read More>>
Mindy Tanimoto
I found my purpose as a photographer in the most unexpected and organic way through my boys. When they were involved in modeling and acting, I was constantly taking photos to update their headshots. Photography wasn’t a business at the time; it was simply something I did out of love and necessity. Read More>>
Hannah Banick
I found my purpose by paying attention to the disconnect between what I was trained to do and what I actually wanted to contribute. I graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Public Health and initially planned to go into healthcare administration. On paper, it made sense. Read More>>
Anthony Quarles
I did not find my purpose all at once. It revealed itself over time through connection. I have always been someone people felt comfortable opening up to, whether in my home, my community, or later in therapy rooms. Becoming a licensed mental health counselor showed me how deeply people want to feel understood and seen. Read More>>
Jay Bird
Shadowing my mom as a photographer & growing up in school as a yearbook photographer inspired me to continue capturing moments through my adult hood. Moments pass us by, and I love capturing those unforgettable ones. Read More>>
Zakar Turner
I found my purpose by noticing what felt necessary, not optional. Art was the thing I couldn’t stop doing. It became how I understood myself and the world around me, and once I saw how it affected others, I knew that was my purpose. Read More>>
Marla Taylor
This has been a slow burn, developing throughout the years. I started in the beauty industry 23 years ago, and I have had a satisfying career. I always felt a strong desire though, to help people from the inside in addition to their outwardly appearance. I was constantly hearing and talking to woman who were struggling with some aspect of life. Read More>>
Ashton Baker
Being an entrepreneur is something I have always wanted to do. What started as a fun hobby planting Sunflowers on our property, turned into so much more. After planting our first batch of Sunflowers, I started experimenting with the idea of bringing some beautiful spaces to our area for people to come take photos at. Read More>>
Coco Rogers
How Did I Find My Purpose? I Finally Listened to My Soul. The System That Didn’t Fit For years, I tried to fit into a system that wasn’t created for me. I was living in ‘survival mode,’ checking the boxes of success while navigating a world of internal static. Read More>>
Rob Martin
Since childhood I have struggled with a scoliotic/Kyphotic back. As I grew older my interests were varied. Besides work, I filled my time with hiking, martial arts, dance and yoga. These interests were helpful for my back, but never quite addressed it fully. One day, I was sitting in a coffee shop in Providence, reading a book on healing modalities, particularly the chapter on Dr. Read More>>
Melissa Hendrickson
It sounds like such a deep question, but I actually think it has a pretty simple answer: I followed joy. My mom has always said that people end up in careers that mirror what they did for fun as a kid. I carried that idea with me as I applied to college, thinking about all the drawings I made as a child. Read More>>
Dana Shurney
After being used by so many people, I’ve decided to get started into finding my faith again. I’m currently reading & studying the Quran & take matters into my own hands. Read More>>
Laurel Holland
Purpose is an intangible asset that lives within us. It’s something we declare, or connect to from within, that motivates and challenges us to evolve. Our purpose may feel like it’s evolving with our own evolution. For me, purpose became clear through self-trust and following my heart. Read More>>
Jessica Szilagyi
My love for photography began long before it became a business. As a kid, a camera was always at the top of my Christmas list. Family trips to Wisconsin became my first “sessions.” I was the one asking everyone to pause for photos, documenting our time together and quietly wandering off to photograph nature. Read More>>
Megan Leist
I found my purpose in a season of transition, when God slowed my life down and began speaking in ways I couldn’t ignore. Photography had always been something I loved, but at the end of 2024 — right after finding out I was pregnant — it became something deeper. That’s when Whispering Hope Imagery was born. Read More>>
Catalina Prado
That’s a beautiful question. I don’t believe we are limited to a single purpose in life; I believe purpose evolves as we do, guided by what we value most. When I looked closely at mine; freedom, camaraderie, love for others, adventure, deep enjoyment of life, and constant self-improvement, I asked myself how I could bring them all into a single direction. Read More>>
Michael Blank
I’ve always felt great helping others and seeing them prosper. I feel this speaks to the core of feeling fulfilled for me, or having purpose. I’ve contemplated my purpose in life a lot, and I still am, but one thing I consistently notice is that I feel so much purpose as I interact with people and bring revelations about how they can improve their llves. Read More>>
Kat Robinson
In 2019 my kid came home with grass seed in a cup for me to keep alive. I laughed and decided I would offer to come do a plant class with my supplies and know-how. So I went into his 2nd grade class with all the supplies to grow cucumber plants. Read More>>
Jeanie Dawson-Burriss
Growing up as a teenager I was always curious of how to know what my purpose is. I believe we all are here for some reason, but I never knew where to start. I decided to ask God what as my faith grew. The answer was there all along, but I didn’t realize it until I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Breast Cancer. Read More>>
Kara Ricciardi
My purpose has always been food-focused in some capacity—it just took a few tries to figure out what that truly meant. From a young age, I wanted to be a chef. I grew up in an Italian and Spanish family in Brooklyn, where food was the center of everything. Our kitchen was the gathering place. Read More>>
Ashley DeFrees
For a long time, I struggled with focus and consistency because I have ADD. Daily routines that came easily to other people often felt overwhelming to me. But I started noticing something important. When something genuinely excited me, my energy flipped completely. I could hyperfocus, stay up researching, teaching myself, improving, and creating without being told to do so. Read More>>
Lindsey Chastain
I think purpose is highly overrated. It’s like creativity. If you wait for inspiration to strike, you won’t be prepared when it does hit. And you may have to wait a long time. Sometimes, purpose is as simple as I need to put food on the table. Purpose won’t drive you through the day-to-day. Instead, focus on honing your skills. Learn new skills. Practice. Practice. Read More>>
Danielle Davies
I didn’t find my purpose all at once. I recognized it over time (lots of time) by noticing what consistently worked—especially when I stopped underestimating it. Across journalism, politics, writing, marketing, speaking, and now podcasting, I kept being asked to do the same thing: talk. Not in a performative way, but in a way that made other people talk too. Read More>>
Michael Hellem
Through the practice of my paintings Read More>>
Emaan Singh
I found my purpose through my own life experiences, particularly the challenges I faced growing up. I was raised by a single mother who struggled with her mental health, and from a young age, I took on a parental role. These difficult experiences gave me firsthand insight into mental health challenges and deeply shaped my empathy and passion for this work. Read More>>
Ron Vanvoorhis
I stumbled into my purpose during a vacation with my wife to Iceland, I dropped, and broke my professional camera, so. I decided to use my cell phone as an alternative. Using the principles I learned as a professional photographer, I started to use both my phone (6 plus) and my wife’s phones a (7 plus). Read More>>
Tom Milani
My parents instilled in me a love of learning. I grew up reading, and by the time I reached high school, I started picking out books outside of those assigned. Gradually, I found the kind of writing that appealed to me. My junior year, I took a creative writing class, which got me interested in writing short stories. Read More>>
April Kemp
I didn’t “find” my purpose in one big lightning-bolt moment — I recognized it by looking back and noticing a pattern that had been there my whole life. At my core, I’ve always been a DreamHer… and a motivator, coach, leader, and parent. Read More>>
Casey Bowen
I found my purpose in music at a young age. Music has always been a huge part of my life and something I have naturally connected with. I believe anything that you can easily hyper focus, or loose track of time while doing can be a purpose. If you naturally loose yourself in it, it can naturally give you purpose. Read More>>
Laumel Lloyd
When I was younger, my family spent some time in Georgia. I was still a kid, but there are certain things you don’t forget and one of those things was the radio. I remember sitting and listening to a station in Columbus, Georgia. I believe it was Fox 105. Back then, I didn’t know anything about formats, programming, or branding. Read More>>
Ken Kingsbury
It definitely wasn’t a straight path. Purpose, for me, came through years of trial and error, mixed with a steady undercurrent of imposter fears. I grew up in San Francisco at a time when the whole city felt like an experiment—traditional expectations on one side, and on the other, this wild surge of creativity and rule-breaking energy. Read More>>
Amanda Novena
I found my purpose by paying attention to what kept coming back into my life. I did not have one big moment where everything suddenly made sense. Instead, I noticed that the moments where I felt the most fulfilled were when I was helping people feel comfortable, seen, and confident during really meaningful times in their lives. Read More>>
Ashley Campbell
All of us are searching for our purpose in life. From the time we are little, we are asked the question; ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ It’s exciting at first but as we grow older it starts to feel like pressure. Read More>>
Heather St. Clair
Oh, what a deeply philosophical question that every woman must ask themselves in their pursuit of their passion! My purpose as a florist comes from the profound human connections I find through flowers. At the heart of it, I love creating moments of joy and meaning for people. Read More>>
Salma Eltoukhy
I found my purpose through a struggle I lived personally — and I know so many artists feel the same. I came to Italy with the dream of becoming an artist and studied Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice. I was creating all the time, but I didn’t know how to get my work into exhibitions. Read More>>
Judith Campanaro
Finding my purpose was not a straight path—it was a long unlearning. Much of my early life was shaped by inherited beliefs: that achievement equaled worth, that “smart” people didn’t pursue art, that creativity was impractical or indulgent. Those messages were reinforced by family, education, and institutions that taught me—sometimes explicitly—not to trust my own voice. Read More>>
Miranda Vaughn
I was new to my city, having just moved here a few months before the pandemic. I was desperately trying to find purpose and community in the midst of chaos – a time when building relationships the traditional ways was almost impossible. I discovered Big House Books about a year later. Read More>>
Natalie Bernacchi
For a long time, my life looked very successful on paper. I spent over 15 years climbing the corporate ladder, leading teams, hitting goals, and doing everything I thought I was supposed to do and everything society told me I needed to do. But underneath the titles, accomplishments, and paychecks, I felt completely disconnected from myself. The real shift began after becoming a mother. Read More>>
DEPHYNE
I’m Annapolis, Maryland born and Alabama bred, but I found my purpose in North Philly. A relationship guided me to Philly, but music kept me there. Philly loved my sound, but more so my work ethic and demeanor. After releasing my self produced track ‘NEW NEW’ I was asked to host a showcase for Independent Artists. Read More>>
Edgardo Puga
Finding a purpose is something that gets cultivated as we grow up. As we navigate the different phases of life, we find our likes and dislikes, and we find something that aligns with our values. For me, a purpose doesn’t have to be one grand, fixed mission. For me, a purpose is a way of getting involved with the world. Read More>>
Yara Zgheib
I always wanted to be a writer. I remember saying that (and my elementary school teacher does too!) when we were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. Read More>>
