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.
Tyler Campbell
I find my purpose through my kids and my desire to give them a better life. Read more>>
Margaret Fleeman
I would say my purpose found me…unfolding over years, showing me the way to my deeper inner being. It has been a process of self-discovery with my body being my teacher and guide. I liken it to the hero’s journey, ignited by an unexpected challenge or obstacle to kickstart a personal odyssey. The pursuit of which unfolded before me, revealing a deeper meaning and purpose to my life as I walked down the path… Read more>>
Sheila and Sarah Houlahan and Parsons
We found our purpose when we worked together on the #nightmotherontwitch campaign; it was during the building of this campaign and the incredible success it generated thereafter that we realized not only do we complement each other’s working style, but we get more done at a rapid rate when we work together – especially when it’s for a good cause! Read more>>
Allison Niccum
Like many advances in all fields of endeavor, our purpose was found in the crucible of necessity. My husband sought to help me, after the most difficult health journey of my life that seriously affected the health of my skin. This led us down a path of seeking to create a solution to restore skin health and vibrance. Read more>>
Steller
I think I’m one of the few who have known what their purpose was since childhood. It’s always been music for me! I grew up playing guitar and singing and always involved in the arts in some aspect. As I got older I continued to pursue my passion in college were I studied audio engineering and received a Bachelors degree in music. Read more>>
Rachel Timothy
In many ways, your purpose tends to find you. Due to my own personal experiences of being trafficked by a teacher/coach starting at the age of nine, I was given an opportunity to see first hand into one of the darkest crimes there is. This personal experience gave me a deep righteous anger toward people who hurt others in this way. Knowing what I know, once I got out from the situation, I knew that I had to do all I can to protect others from this evil. Read more>>
Yanique Shaw
I found my purpose through being obedient with my faith. I felt God pulling me in a direction I didn’t know the outcome to versus the very real corporate ladder I had planned out for myself. My background is in marketing and since college I’ve held various jobs in the field but never really felt I belonged. I got into the event industry starting with event planning. It wasn’t until I took a floral workshop that I realized my love for floral design. Read more>>
Niki Baklund
Did I find my purpose, or did my purpose find me? You know that great saying, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears?” I feel like that has been the last 8-10 years of my life. I always had a feeling I that I was meant for something more. Although I have found successes in life, there always seemed to be this nagging little thought/feeling that perhaps there was a little more to it than I realized. Read more>>
Olga B.
Finding my purpose has always been of great importance to me. In fact, I spent decades of my life actively trying to figure out what my purpose was. A quote by Oprah Winfrey resonates deeply with me: “The work of your life is to discover your purpose and get on with the business of living it out.” Read more>>
Florian Kersten
Nurtured abroad alongside my family, I re-entered my country of origin at twelve and was met with an immediate sense of estrangement from my culture. This stark contrast became a source of profound anxiety and spawned a lengthy battle with low self-esteem, lingering well into my late twenties. Read more>>
Alan Levin
I actually found my purpose by first pursuing what was NOT my purpose. I grew up in an upper class, suburban home and my parents had high standards for the careers they expected my siblings and I to pursue. What were acceptable choices? Doctor, lawyer, business man – that was pretty much it. Read more>>
Julia Morin
I’ve known for quite some time that I wanted to help others, I just wasn’t sure what form that would take. I have always been a “helper,” which I think goes hand-in-hand with empathy—when we have known deep hurt and suffering ourselves, we often tend to become someone who doesn’t want to see others hurting and suffering. Read more>>
BROTHER JD
I believe I found my purpose at an early age. I realized that I enjoy certain things in this roller coaster of life. In my case it was to entertain, to be the center of attention. I liked to get applause or laughs, I have always been a clown in class or the guy up on stage in a play or talent show. I knew that was fun for me so I knew early that I was headed for something in the entertainment industry. I actually wanted to be a star of some sort no doubt. Read more>>
Su-Mari Hill
It’s 4:34am. I have sourdough bread in the oven and I’m enjoying the early morning peace that is exclusive to this time before my 5 kids wake up. I have been meditating on the concept of purpose a lot recently. I think we often intertwine the concept of purpose with career. They are two mutually exclusive concepts and I believe they should be treated as such. Read more>>
Martin Olson
I’m a comedy writer. I’ve had a writing agent in Hollywood and worked for Walt Disney Studios etc. since the ’80’s. As a young boy I would play with puppets acting out various ridiculous characters. This was a natural way to transform insanity into becoming a writer. Read more>>
Mari Hashimoto
This is a great question! Finding my purpose was a journey, and it continues to be. Long story short, I was in the high tech industry for the first half of my adult life. Although it was fun and challenging in its own ways, something was missing. I kept asking myself: “How is my work contributing to humanity in healthy ways?” I could never answer that. Read more>>
Lee K. Whetstone
My purpose journey has been exciting. At one point in my life, I felt lost as to who I was and what I was here for. Quick story, after I graduated with a B.S. degree in business administration, I landed a job at a retail store. (That’s another story). Read more>>
Amy Hellman
My purpose is a constantly evolving work-in-progress. There was not one definitive moment in which I acknowledged, “and now, I am on the right track.” Rather, a series of events over time led me to peel away the veils of denial, limited perspective, and obligations that drew me away from identifying and understanding who I am, how I operate, and what I would like to focus on in my personal and professional life. Read more>>
Joy KMT
I don’t think that you ‘find purpose’, I think that you say yes to it. Purpose is a very utilitarian sort of word. It’s like asking “what are you good for?” Or “what is your value?” or “how are you useful?” and I think that people tend to ask those questions when we aren’t in communities that reflect back to us who we are, and who we belong to. Read more>>
Tempest Storm” Thomas”
In 2018, I took a leap of faith and retired from my six figure salaried position to pursue my passion for music full-time. On the same day, I released my very first single “Love Triangle. My decision to retire was one of the most difficult decisions that I made in my entire life and I am proud to share that I do not have any regrets. Read more>>
Les Jones
While living in San Francisco, Calif. My grandmother Gladys White and my Great-grandmother Rebecca Franklin whom I called “Mother Frank” kept watch over me while my mother went to work in the early 1960’s. On November 22, 1963, shortly after noon, seven days before my 8th birthday party. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Read more>>
Eric Santoli
As a painter and a teacher, I have spent a lot of time thinking about my own purpose. I used to wonder if what I’m doing is important, worthwhile or even sustainable. When I was growing up I honestly wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do; I liked sports, writing, drawing and working with my hands. I bounced around a lot, but I always liked making things. Read more>>
Joan Takayama-Ogawa
My parents always encouraged me to follow my heart but not develop heart disease. They had absolute confidence in me to give it my all when motivated. I was a fish out of water most of my years in school. I found so many subjects fascinating and did not pursue anything that seemed wrong or a bad fit. When I touched clay, I knew that if I did not drop everything, I would not be happy. Read more>>
Eujay Doe
Discovering my purpose has been a profound journey that traces back to my college years. It was a time when I found myself conforming to societal expectations rather than pursuing what truly ignited my passion. That realization served as a catalyst for introspection and self-discovery. Read more>>
Benjamin Jones
My simple answer is from my Creator. Before you dismiss this as a fundamentalist view that is out of touch with reality, I’d like to share my journey of how I came to believe this. I didn’t always believe in the existence of God as a Creator with a purpose in mind for His creation. I came to realize though, that without a Creator, there can be no purpose. Read more>>
Trudean Haye
Well, I’ve always had this innate desire to help people. It’s like this little voice inside me that says, ‘Hey, let’s make someone’s day a little brighter!’ So, whether it’s through my non-profit and philanthropy work or my creative brand business, my mission is pretty straightforward: spread some joy and lend a hand wherever I can. It’s like being on a mission to sprinkle kindness everywhere I go. Read more>>
Adam Kuhn
I remember it well. It was the spring of 2011, I was 30 years old, and had accomplished nearly every major goal I set for my twenties. I had everything I wanted, everything I was striving for, and I felt surprisingly… hollow. Not terrible. Not great. Just… well… dull. Read more>>
Brenda Mailer
I believe our purpose forms through our lived experiences, uncovering what’s truly important to us, and our skills and talents we bring into this world. I feel it’s also important to recognize that our life purpose might not be just one thing, but a combination of things over time, so I invite you to be open to that. Mine has adapted over the years, you might notice the same. Read more>>
Joey Coleman
Unlike most ventures and adventures in my life, I came to the cannabis industry by the way of trauma. I had spent the better part of a decade chasing adventure around the globe, coaching tennis professionally in Australia and Singapore, captaining and running a charter sailing business in Nicaragua, climbing icy peaks in Russia, and a number of other wild adventures. Read more>>
Yvonne Lopez-Luke
I want to start by saying that my life has not been easy from being a foster child since the age of 5 and in and out of 14 foster homes and 10 group homes. I have been on my own since the age of 15. After having 4 children and I presently have 21 Grandchildren i came home from being incarcerated for 3 1/2 years I decided that i wanted to change my life! Read more>>
Monica Tucker
As a military spouse who said “I do” at the tender age of 18, I quickly realized that my mother’s warning, “You are too young to get married,” held more truth than I initially understood. Yet, amidst the whirlwind of challenges and uncertainties, I discovered my true calling – a purpose rooted deeply in my desire to help others. From as far back as I can remember, I felt a profound sense of empathy and a compelling urge to alleviate the pain of those around me. Read more>>
Ellen Blum Barish
I believe my purpose found me when I became open to the signs. Even by the end of college, I didn’t know what my professional life would look like. I majored in communications and minored in English and Philosophy but didn’t know how these might translate into a career until I stumbled into a job as a research editor for a travel guide series. Read more>>
Mandy Lauer
I first found my purpose when I was 20 years old. I first started yoga at a fitness club when I was 19. Not knowing it at the time, I stumbled upon one of the best teachers in the world. She had a presence about her that I had never experienced before. She was calm, nurturing, graceful, humble, and genuine. Read more>>
Jo Kelly
I graduated in human resource psychology and systemics in my university years in belgium. Then when I started acting, I realized that no matter how hard I studied acting it wasn’t making me a better actress. Quite the contrary, the more I studied and trained, the more disconnected I felt. I was a good actress but I wasn’t becoming great. Read more>>
Gayla Davis
Well since the world is full of opportunities, I decided to explore those that intrigued me the most, One of my major interest is cooking. Starting at the age of 4 making a pan of cornbread from scratch with my mother. Being the only child at home during those tender years… there was nothing else to do other than the two “LL’s”… Read more>>
Jessica Hanlon
How did I find my purpose? Well, it took me a long time to find my purpose, but I always knew that I wanted to be a photographer since the age of 12, and it was a long journey of actually becoming one because when I was 21 I was told “good luck – you should find a rich husband if you want to be a photographer.” Read more>>
Leeon George
I was a successful corporate attorney at 25 years old and extremely unfulfilled. I decided that after following all the rules to success (going to school, getting good grades and getting a job) and still being unhappy that it was time to take matters into my own hands. So I embarked in the world of personal development. I read Jump by Steve Harvey and decided that for me to truly live a life filled with abundance, I needed to be willing to take a leap of faith so I did. Read more>>
