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.

Becca Boston

For a long time, I searched for my purpose outside of myself. I believed it was tied to what I did rather than who I am. At one point, I thought my purpose was photography. I went to school for it, started my own business, and became an assistant manager at a studio. But when I moved across the country to start a new chapter, that path shifted. I began working in adult group homes, supported children with disabilities, earned my CNA certification, and spent five years working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I embraced the role of caregiver, especially during the challenges of the pandemic. Read More>>

Brian John Skillen

I was a world-famous dancer, traveling 6-9 months out of the year, teaching and performing—every week was a new country or city. I had achieved my childhood dream, but I felt “Is this all there is?” I thought dance was my purpose in life, but what I realized after this experience was that my true purpose in life was to help and inspire people and dance was a tool that I used to achieve this. I loved teaching dance because I was changing lives through it, and I loved performing because I was inspiring others. I developed a saying after this that is “Tools wear out, but a purpose never does.” Often times people confuse tools with purpose. Read More>>

Ayesha Shah

I found my purpose through a mix of personal experiences and community connections. Growing up with a sister who has autism shaped the way I see the world. She helped me love myself by showing me what unconditional love and joy look like, and I knew I wanted to give that feeling back to others.

I started volunteering in my community and eventually joined Footprints 4 Autism, where I had the chance to work directly with children on the spectrum. That experience opened my eyes to the beauty of different ways of communicating and being. Every child I worked with had something special to offer, and I learned that even if someone expresses themselves differently, they can have the kindest, most genuine soul. Read More>>

Diana North

Growing up as an Air Force brat, I spent my childhood constantly starting over. That experience shaped me into someone who adapts quickly and thrives in new environments. As a lifelong nomad, I came to genuinely enjoy meeting new people, discovering fresh ideas, and navigating unfamiliar places and situations with confidence.

When we finally settled in Show Low and it became clear we were putting down roots, I felt it was time to stop adapting to someone else’s vision and start building my own. I launched North Star Business Center to create a professional hub for the local business community—offering full-time private offices, part-time offices, meeting rooms, coworking spaces, business addresses, and flexible membership options. Read More>>

 Tamara Lee

I found my purpose in the field of natural health support. So many people are suffering from illness and stress, and I’ve learned a number of ways to counsel and support those on a healing journey. When I learned about homeopathy, I knew I had found the field in which I wanted to specialize. It’s my calling and was well worth the years of school and practice necessary. I take great joy in seeing my clients feeling better and moving forward to meet their own goals. Read More>>

Siera Bergeron

I found my purpose through pain, perseverance, and people—especially one young woman named Ellie George. In 2020, during the height of the pandemic, I was serving as a resident assistant at Clemson University for the ClemsonLIFE program, which supports students with intellectual disabilities. I was assigned to mentor Ellie. I thought I’d be changing her life—but really, she changed mine. Read More>>

Amy McFadden

I think purpose and passion are inextricably linked. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to study–and eventually make careers out of–my passions. When you’re immersed in a passion, and take the time to examine why you’re so inspired, driven and energized by it, you can distill it down to a purpose. I know some people do that in reverse, but this is the way I did it.

My purpose is to make the best parts of being a human more accessible to people. I am an interpreter and a connector. Read More>>

Daniel Vallejo

I think I found my purpose through a mix of curiosity and instinct. Growing up in Mexico City, music was everywhere, on the streets, in my home, in the way people told stories. Playing classical guitar and piano as a kid, then later performing at festivals and with orchestras, I started to realize that music wasn’t just something I enjoyed, it was how I processed the world. That really came into focus when I began scoring films and documentaries, especially projects like “Arte y Abastos”, which was about how art transforms our connection to culture. Read More>> 

 Elisa Janson

My professional purpose has evolved significantly over time. I began my career deeply rooted in the music industry and education space, where I developed my foundation. The turning point came after completing my MBA, when I realized my passion extended beyond music—I was truly driven by using my skills to help others achieve their goals. Read More>>

Niccie Kliegl

I’d spent 20+ years as a director of nursing and out of the nowhere I felt board. I could tell the Lord was nudging me to do something new. I had never really ‘heard’ from God until then but I suppose I hadn’t really tried. I attended church on Sunday and said prayers… BEFORE SUPPER. Strange right, as though my gratefully for food at breakfast and lunch was unnecessary? Anyway, as I started to lean into God, He quickly started opening doors and getting straight into the call He had on my life. I want to encourage anyone hearing this. I was forty six years old at the time and I have now helped so many sisters and brothers step.  Read More>>

Imani Johnson

I paid very close attention to what I liked at a very young age. I was a journaler since the 5th grade, I would write about my hopes, my dreams, my day. I sometimes look back at my journal from that time and think “okay she was a little dramatic but she knew what she wanted.” I declared at that age that I wanted to be a fashion designer.

You see, I was a Disney kid in the late 2000’s early 2010’s. I’m talking ‘Shake It Up,’ ‘Hannah Montana,’ ‘Highschool Musical,’ era and I more than anything I wanted to dress like the people I saw on those shows, I was there to gain fashion inspiration. Read More>> 

 Samantha Anderson

Clarity came from not having clarity.

I always knew I was meant to make an impact. I didn’t have the full picture, but I felt it. I knew I was the kind of person who helped people feel seen, supported, and capable of more. I just didn’t know how it all came together yet.

I tried different paths. Some felt aligned for a season, others didn’t. But each experience helped me raise my standards—not just in my work, but in how I live, how I lead, and what I’m available for. Read More>>

 Daniel Akinpelu

From an extraordinarily young age, I have always known that I’ve wanted to make a profound difference in the world. I grew up in a musical family, and was myself formed in significant ways by listening to, pondering upon, and playing music. From as early as I can remember, I’ve known that music has a spiritual, transcendent element that has a way of surpassing words and evoking emotions in ways that no other artistic expression can do; so, from as early as I can remember, I determined to find out how to leverage music to sway other people in positive ways, and hopefully do for them with my music what the music of others had done for me throughout my youth–process challenges in life, feel related to, and connect with community. Read More>>

Ziv Kartaginer

When I was 23, I packed my big backpack and bought a one-way ticket to Portugal. It was a time of many endings in my life, which brought a lot of confusion and uncertainty, mixed with excitement for what was coming. I landed in Portugal with my good friend, we rented a car and drove all over the country. Later, we moved to Spain, volunteered on a goji berry farm, hiked to the highest mountain in Spain, and wandered around. At the end of our Spain chapter, my friend flew to the other side of the world to meet his girlfriend, and I was left with a dilemma: should I go back home, or keep traveling on my own? I decided to keep traveling.  Read More>> 

Josh Sauls

I found my purpose through the piano. I started playing when I was 7, just picking out melodies and learning the basics. At first, it was just something I did, something I was good at. But everything changed in middle school. I remember playing a particular song with a chorus that hit me differently. As I played, I felt something deep stir inside me—like I wasn’t just pressing keys anymore; I was speaking from my soul. That was the moment I realized music wasn’t just a hobby for me, it was a calling. It became the way I expressed what words couldn’t. Music gave me a voice, and through it, I found my purpose. Read More>>

Devin Caesar

My journey to discover my purpose began at 18, just a few months before my high school graduation, when I landed my first job in the restaurant industry. I have always enjoyed communicating and connecting with others. While this often put me at odds with teachers during my school years, as I would occasionally disrupt the class despite completing my assignments, I recognized that this skill would serve me well in customer service. Read More>>

Christina Pirard

I believe my purpose found me—but it took time, patience, and a lot of trust to fully recognize it. It started as an inner knowing, a quiet nudge in my soul that there was more to life than what I was living, even though I couldn’t quite put my finger on what “more” looked like.

For a while, I moved through life with this subtle, nagging feeling that I was meant to help people, but I didn’t yet know how. I went back to school and earned my Master’s Degree in Psychology, hoping it would give me clarity. It gave me a strong foundation, but the real shift happened when I began to follow the signs that had always been around me. Read More>>

Micah Bell

That’s a powerful and honest question—”Where do I find purpose?” Especially at the beginning of a creative journey like becoming a nail artist, it’s normal to feel unsure. As a new nail artist, finding purpose began with understanding why I chose this path. Maybe it’s the joy of transforming a simple set of nails into works of art, or the way my creativity brings confidence and happiness to others. Nail art is more than beauty—it’s connection, self-expression, and empowerment. With every design, I have the chance to make someone feel seen, unique, and cared for. Read More>>

Maddison Kitt

My purpose found me — somewhere between a childhood shaped by loss and a life built on connection.

My husband, Brandon, and I have been best friends since we were 13 and 15. We grew up through some heavy things — the kind of grief and instability that shifts your whole perspective. That kind of pain strips away the noise and makes you ask: What actually matters? It taught us how to truly live — not just survive, but to live with urgency, intention, and heart. Don’t wait. Follow your curiosities. Talk to strangers. Be seen. Be weird. Be wild. Be you. Read More>>

Peter Kennedy

I found my purpose the moment I stopped running from myself.

For most of my life, I thought my purpose was to build. To succeed. To win. I founded companies, chased accolades, and eventually sold my business in a nine-figure deal to a publicly traded company. But no matter how high I climbed, it never felt like enough. I was living by an invisible algorithm—a belief that if I just achieved more, I’d finally feel worthy. But success without self is a mirage. It looks fulfilling from the outside, but inside, it’s hollow. Read More>>

Eliana Athayde

Sometimes I beat myself up for not being an all-or-nothing kind of person; the kind of person who can pick a lane and stay in it. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with horses (bear with me here –) and if I had the same talent for horse training as I do for playing music, I’m certain that horses would be my profession and music would be my hobby. But by the time I got to college, I was enthusiastic about my future as a professional musician, and fully committed to keeping my horse Niko.  Read More>>

 Ranchida

My purpose and passion started from being a high school girl from the northeastern part of Thailand (Khon Kaen) with a dream of becoming a diplomat. I tried my best to find my way into that path, with countless failures and strangers telling me it was impossible. But along the way, I found that this idea of impossibility is what stops young people from pursuing their goals, and it stems from them not having access to the resources needed to support them in their path. Opportunities are concentrated in the capital city and very rarely reach those in other provinces.Read More>>

Elise Renn

I spent much of my life denying my truest essence and purpose. Purpose to me is about living in one’s fullest authenticity, whatever gifts have been bestowed upon a person since birth and childhood- this is when we see most people living in their “purpose” – it has been a process for me as an adult to peel back the layers of conditioning and external voices, in order to be able to witness and embrace my own true purpose. Read More>>

Kasey Broekema

Purpose is something I believe you have to examine, experiment with, and redefine every single day. For me, it’s never been static. My purpose has evolved alongside my values, my art, and the communities I’ve felt called to serve through my work.

I began with a singular focus: ballet. I was on a professional track from a young age, graduating high school early—the first in Kentucky to do so—and moving to New York City to train intensively at institutions like American Ballet Theatre and Joffrey. When I received a full scholarship to Columbia University, something that had never been on my radar, it radically shifted my path. Read More>>