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.
Yu Sun
Discovering my life purpose has been a long journey. I experimented with various things—sports, painting, writing, dancing, and playing instruments. While these activities brought me moments of happiness, such as the dopamine rush from playing badminton, they didn’t provide a deep sense of fulfillment. Unintentionally, the lockdown during the Covid pandemic, gave me the time and opportunity to really reflect on myself. Read more>>
Rachel Rampleman
I was in grad school in New York City trying to figure out what to make for my master’s thesis project. Having come to the big city from suburban Ohio, I’d felt imposter syndrome since the 1st day of my 1st semester. Here I was, this (self-identifying) bumpkin from the midwest, getting to meet and hang out with the artists and intellectuals who had inspired me to become an artist in the 1st place. I was surrounded by those I saw as the smartest and most talented and creative people on the planet (and who in all likelihood were and still are). I had never felt more excited but also humbled, in over my head, and anxious to rise to the occasion. Read more>>
Anny Fenton
This is certainly not the most fun tale to tell, but here goes. I always knew I wanted to help people on a large scale way. This was baked into me by my parents. My mom was brilliant, who suddenly left the library while pursuing a degree at Harvard, because she realized she wasn’t helping anyone by studying books. She went on to dedicate her life to major issues like improving access to housing and education and ultimately got her PhD so she could teach at our local state university’s commuter campus. My dad was more of a wiley opportunist, tackling big issues when he saw the chance. He was in politics working on race relations and poverty and, because of a little white lie, ended up advising Jimmy Carter to help improve rural healthcare. Read more>>
Annmarie Tereza
This remarkable tale is a testament to the power of fate and the unexpected paths that life can take. It all began with a serendipitous encounter on a plane that would ultimately lead me to discover my true passion for voice acting. During one of her travels, my mother struck up a conversation with a fellow passenger who turned out to be none other than Mimi Maynard, a seasoned voice actor. Little did we know that this chance meeting would set in motion a life-changing series of events. After staying in touch, Mimi reached out to my mother a year later to share the exciting news of her newly established voice acting school, Voice Masters. Read more>>
Jennifer Morris
I love it when I’m asked this question!. As a clinician, oftentimes I will get clients who struggle to find their sense of being and challenges understanding what it is that they are purposed to do. A client might come to see me with many accolades, accomplishments, awards, and might even be at the top of their game. I always ask them a seemingly simple question. “Define what happiness means to you”? I’ve yet to have a person answer that question without a perplexed response while avoiding the direct question. The reality is many people don’t know what happiness looks like to them. I like to remind people that productivity doesn’t equate to happiness and oftentimes people are staying busy as a distraction to themselves. Read more>>
Kim Della Porta
My purpose as a Mama Coach really came out of no where. Growing up I always knew I wanted to help people, but I never quite knew EXACTLY what I wanted to do or how that would manifest later in life. Working at non-profits and volunteering was the start of that journey, but once I became a mom, I finally realized that helping other mamas was my true purpose! That is where I truly feel at home and where I believe I can make the biggest difference. Read more>>
Andrew Griffin
I suppose I knew almost from birth that I was going to be a performer. From the time I was 3, I was always “putting on shows” in the living room, standing on the fireplace with a plastic guitar, cowboy hat, and a Houston Rockets onesie tucked into my faux snakeskin boots. By the time I was in elementary school I was performing in school plays and playing percussion in band class. It’s also important to note, the apple does not fall far from the tree. My mom and her father were both actors, and my dad is very musically inclined and played the cornet and electric bass growing up in the 70s, so performing and artistry were always in my DNA. Read more>>
C.j. Pizarro
The story starts 20 years ago. I was an activity leader in a convalescent facility, handing out cookies and singing songs to the sick and elderly. Golden oldies, rock & roll, karaoke hits. I met a woman visiting her mother and would bump into her regularly. We fell in love. She was a mother of 2 and, as time passed, her kids became my kids. Becoming a dad this way was very special to me. I began writing songs for our kids, testing them out with the folks at the hospital. Writing songs for the young at heart was a natural fit and that’s when I became Mista Cookie Jar. Read more>>
Nikki Frechette
My purpose emerged through a wild ride of healing and self-discovery, one that began with losing myself completely in co-dependency and the unhealed traumas of my former partners. For years, I was stuck on repeat in toxic relationships, brushing off red flags like they were “no big deal” and falling into the idea that control and possessiveness were just expressions of love – a deeply ingrained belief from my upbringing. Read more>>
Tammy J Cohen
Finding my purpose in life came a bit later to me. I started a business in 2007 and worked with clients in the gem and jewelry space. It wasn’t until the pandemic shutdown that I began to look at myself and realized that I was not happy. I realized that I had negative thoughts and saboteurs that played a significant role in how I judged myself, my circumstances, and others. I started a journey of self-discovery. I worked with coaches, immersed myself in programs, masterminds, and courses, and read many books. Read more>>
James Bonilla
I always knew I wanted to make things. Not necessarily as a career, but as a constant source of joy and understanding. Often times, it’s the only way I know how to communicate — through creative expression. For a while, this was rooted in drawing or the visual arts, which was what led me to graphic design. But over time, I realized the medium matters less than the idea or message the creative urge contains. Read more>>
Camille Dan
I have always been an independent person. The eldest of four children, I began helping my mother with my younger siblings at an early age. This instilled a sense of purpose to care for others with empathy and to set an example of responsibility and self-confidence. Purpose seemed to have a way of finding me. I chose to be a nurse and take care of critically ill and injured people, a job I loved and took considerable pride in. Read more>>
Heidi Stanford
This is closely associated to why?!My purpose is to support my family. My mom was a single mom and growing up she sacrificed so many things so that her three children could be fed, clothed and educated. Most importantly she showed as what a great work ethic is and not to be afraid to step over the ‘fear’ barrier and try new things. For me, finding myself in a foreign country (I am Australian), as a new mom at 40 years of age and without support system I delved into buying and selling my first piece of furniture and surprisingly I made a good profit, mostly due to the pandemic frenzy here in Austin and my reputation for high quality furniture. Read more>>
Salvatore Spinelli
Finding my purpose seems to be an evolving process that is dictated by time and moments. I, like everyone else wonders, on a grand scale, why am I here? Who am I? What am I meant to do? The more I was able to really develop and craft my own skills, such as in music, I felt that my purpose was to share what my abilities could produce. For a long time I thought my purpose was to play music and perform for people. Maybe it was at that time. Eventually my life shifted more into teaching music and mentoring other new musicians. Read more>>
Alyssa Luckey
Finding my purpose has been a gradual process shaped by personal experiences and a deep desire to help others. Growing up in rural Wisconsin, I faced significant responsibilities at a young age, like caring for my younger siblings and working two jobs in high school to support myself and my siblings. These challenges taught me resilience and gave me a strong sense of empathy. Read more>>
Kiki Wixon
Discovering my purpose required a willingness to step out of my comfort zone and embrace new experiences. This initial decision, made 10 years ago, has been instrumental in shaping my journey. It began with an aerial class, an activity I had never attempted before. As I learned and grew, an opportunity emerged to perform and eventually teach. It was through this teaching that I discovered my true purpose. Guiding others on a similar path to the one I had taken years earlier was incredibly rewarding. Witnessing their accomplishments and seeing the positive impact I could have on their lives clarified my purpose. I realized that helping others discover their own potential and achieve their goals is where I am meant to be. Read more>>
Kristine Romine, MD, FAAD
I have evolved over decades into my purpose; which is mentoring, guiding, and inspiring highly motivated, goal oriented individuals to thrive at their highest achievable level through our one of a kind education program paired with innovative treatments, which help transform lives through BelleSante (Beautiful Health). After completing medical school and residencies in both Internal Medicine as well as Dermatology and Mohs skin cancer surgery, I began practicing in a typical western medicine dermatology practice. Read more>>
Justine Blanchet
Over time, I got confirmation that I was doing what I was meant to do. I already had the talent, the rest was hard work and perseverance. People were (and are still) telling me I had everything to succeed, I just had to keep going. Read more>>
