Core to our mission is helping our audience and community reach their full potential and the most important part of reaching your full potential is starting to find your purpose. Below, we’ve shared stories and insights from the community around how various folks found their purpose and we hope it helps you in your journey.
Kamilah Antoine
Figuring out your purpose is something many people spend their whole lives trying to do. For me, my purpose has been clear and evolving since my teenage years. Despite being very introverted when I was young, I found immense fulfillment in helping others feel better about themselves. Read more>>
Yiran Chen
I kept running away from home as time went on, just to look for the perfect replica of my home. My sense of “Nostalgia” serves as the foundation for all of my creative pursuits. I was raised in China, where I was the only child generation born into a particular historical context. Read more>>
Natalie Ledbetter
As I’ve matured and perhaps gained some wisdom, I’ve come to realize that my life’s purpose is fostering connections and building communities that are diverse, equitable and inclusive. This understanding is deeply rooted in my upbringing as a “third culture kid” in Jakarta, Indonesia. Read more>>
Shannon Leora
The journey to finding my purpose involved navigating through trials, triumphs, sickness, and grief. It’s through these experiences that we can sometimes lose ourselves, only to ultimately rediscover our true calling. It’s a profound realization to understand that there are countless others walking a similar path, and the desire to help them can become a driving force in our own journey. Read more>>
Giao Nguyen
As a Vietnamese-American artist in my 20s, purpose was always a tough question. For a long time I wondered if purpose was found somewhere between your paid profession or the thing that makes you feel alive, but I think it might even be more simple than that. Read more>>
Dr. Jen Pfleghaar
Finding your purpose can be deeply fulfilling and transformative. As an integrative medicine doctor and a mom, I understand the importance of balance and holistic well-being in life. Drawing inspiration from Proverbs 31:25, which says, “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come,” I approach the journey of discovering my purpose with confidence and grace. Read more>>
Chris Beach
When I was 16 years old, I was playing sports, going to school with not a worry in the world. Then one day, as I was stopping by my mom’s shop after practice, my world got turned upside down. She pulled me in the door, locked it and then burst into tears. She looked up at me and said that dad is not coming home tonight. He was incarcerated. Read more>>
Tash Cox
When I think of the idea of finding my purpose, I think of it as a sweet whisper in the wind that opens your heart and reminds you of who you are. Sometimes you hear it and ignore it, sometimes it rings true right away, and sometimes it takes many whispers to finally hear and understand. Read more>>
Sean Danconia
I can recall a philosopher explaining once how the question, “What is the meaning of life?” smuggled in an erroneous presupposition. That is, they argued that the proper question should actually be: “What is the meaning of YOUR life?”—in other words, “what is your purpose in life?” or at least, to what purpose do you aim it (your life) and why? Otherwise, one would need to be essentially omniscient and omnipotent to answer. Read more>>
Brandi O.
For me, it’s been a journey filled with twists, turns, and moments that shaped who I am today. Since I was young, I’ve felt a deep calling to support and uplift women. It’s in my bones, woven into the fabric of my being. Even in the midst of my own storms, I found solace in being a cheerleader for others, offering advice and motivation whenever it was needed. Read more>>
Jessica DeHart
I love the conversation of Purpose so much so that I created a nonprofit, A Brilliant Life Foundation (ABLF), for tweens and teens, based solely on Purpose. The idea was that it is no mistake that we were born in this time in history, this is our 100 years to shine. And it’s our job to figure out what it is we are alive to do or affect. Read more>>
Jennifer Smith
I unlocked the magic of life when I decided to invest in me! The decision was made in 2020 to be mentored by Bob Proctor, through his mentorship and teachings, I dedicated time to delve into understanding my true self. Through self-reflection, limiting beliefs were uncovered and subconscious barriers were eliminated. Read more>>
Shelby Nicoletti-Bachnicki
Discovering my purpose as the owner of Luce del Sole Studios likely involved a journey of self-reflection, exploration, and alignment with my passions and values. It might have started with identifying what truly excites and fulfills me in the realm of studio ownership—whether it’s fostering creativity, empowering artists, or providing a space for community engagement and a place for women to feel beautiful, safe and comfortable. Read more>>
Calvin Rogers
It sort of found me actually. I was very fortunate to tap in to my purpose at a very early age. When I was just two years old, I would get in trouble all the time for banging and beating on furniture, and whatever else I could get my hands on. I was literally making beats haha. My grandmother on my mom’s side, finally told my parents to buy me a drum set cause I was going to be a drummer she said. My parents ended up doing just that. Read more>>
Makena Hayes-Gargonnu
I tell people all the time that my purpose dropped in my lap. I wasn’t exactly looking for it the way it showed up. I knew I have always loved the performing arts from live music, plays, dance and tv sitcoms. I didn’t know I could actually do it for a living. I was blessed to have the opportunity to work for an empowerment event series for African American women for 2 years starting in August of 1998. Read more>>
Rokki Bonner
My purpose was discovered on my personal journey of health and wellness. Diagnosed at a young age with an autoimmune disease, I faced significant challenges that led me to explore various ways to maintain and improve my health. Read more>>
Angelica Ramirez
My purpose is strongly tied to my lived trauma, pain and a great deal of suffering I have experienced through out my life. My purpose has turned the ashes of my pain into beauty. I lived a great deal of trauma since childhood and more during adulthood. Read more>>
Jess Holmes
In my twenties, I became a military wife and thrived within the close knit community. Making friends came naturally and I cherished the deep sense of understanding and belonging with those around me. However, after leaving the military scene and relocating to Arizona, everything changed. I felt isolated. I made acquaintances but never felt a deep enough connection with anyone to form a true friendship. Read more>>
Adaeze Anyanwu
As I sit in my office at Anuli Aesthetics & Weightloss, surrounded by the soft hum of the clinic and the views of Downtown Houston, I can’t help but reflect on the journey that brought me here. On my father’s side, it seemed as though everyone carried the burden of diabetes. Growing up, I witnessed the toll it took, the lives cut short, and the pain it inflicted on those I loved. Read more>>
Nicole Bowman (Lunaape/Mohican)
My purpose is rooted from my Indigenous spirit name, Waapalaneexkweew (wah-pah-lah-nay-wook). This means flying eagle woman, accompanied by the four eagles as my Elders told me/have given me teachings on. This spirit name lives in my values, ethics, and lifestyle. It encompasses all that I do no matter where I am / what contexts I am in (professional, academic, personal, social, etc.). Read more>>
Gina Doost
As a creative, the quest to find one’s place in the world can be daunting. We are often shadowed by the specters of what might have been or what we believe should be. From my youth, I’ve embraced a vision that my path, my career, and my contributions to society must converge in a harmonious dance that infuses joy into my existence. This vision, I’ve come to realize, is the essence of living with intention and purpose. Read more>>
Chris Gillis
I was raised by an extenlded family that consisted of 100% divorce. Not a single relative was without divorce and I had a deep desire and sense of fullfillment through creating powerful connections. After years of helping male and female friends navigate dating and relationship waters, and noticing that I invested all my free time outside of work studying effective communication and as well as the psychology of attraction Read more>>
Eros The Prince of Poetry
I believe for years, I confused my purpose with my desire. I believed what I enjoyed doing was what I was meant to be doing. That’s not exactly how purpose works. Life taught me that purpose is what you are MEANT to do, despite what it is you may WANT to do. Read more>>
Lee Norwood
My journey towards discovering my passion has been quite unconventional, but incredibly fulfilling. While I’ve always harbored a desire to be on stage, my lack of talent in singing, dancing, or acting made me rethink my approach. I just wanted to lead people and be my own boss on my own stage. Read more>>
Rudy Lafrance
I found my purpose through music. I discovered my passion for the guitar in middle school; as I continued getting better, I envisioned a future of myself pursuing music full-time, which is why performing became a top-priority because I was involved in something that can instantly elevate the atmosphere in any room for any event. Read more>>
Margaret Burns Vap
My purpose has been a journey, that continues to unfold. I love the process and its evolution. In a culture driven by checking off items on to-do lists, it’s refreshing to have your purpose shape-shift over a lifetime. I’ve arrived here, for definition’s sake: my purpose is creating balance between success and well-being. Read more>>
Lisa Moya
My purpose in life which is to teach, was always evolving in front of me and one day, I realized it.
As a young girl, dancing and roller skating were my favorite things to do and I enjoyed teaching others dance steps and skating tricks. At age 10, my parents took me to visit The Redstone School, where Mary (as in Mary Had a Little Lamb) attended. Read more>>
Melanie Bonk
My purpose was predestined by bad lovers, cheaters, narcissists and divorce. Divorce was all around me, woven into the fabric of my family well before I was a bouncing baba. All of my parents, which includes two stepparents, are on their third (and hopefully final) marriages. My grandfather walked out on my grandmother and three kids, leaving my then teen mom to raise her younger siblings while my grandmother worked to support the family. Read more>>
Katie Nixon
I am led by passion and tempered by practical thinking. I have always had a deep love of nature and knew from a young age that I wanted to spend my life working with nature in some way. As a child we would make the long trek across Kansas traveling from Kansas City to the mountains in Colorado. This helped me develop my love of nature. Read more>>
Elaine Hauser
Finding my purpose has been a transformative journey, beginning with a connection to the philosophy of yoga. Yoga opened my eyes to the power of service and the question, “How can I serve?” This reflection guided me to blend my passion for yoga with Grief Coaching. It feels as though the universe granted me these paths as my way to serve others. Read more>>
Brittney Cobb-Farmer
I found my purpose in the midst of uncertainty and it all began with a passion to make a difference. I first dreamed of attending law school. But as I was job searching after graduation, few opportunities aligned with my aspirations until I stumbled upon social work positions that required an advanced degree. When I got my acceptance letter to graduate school I kept receiving subtle signs affirming that I was on the right track. Read more>>
Annmarie Cantrell
My journey has been one of winding, twisted roads that led me to discovering that what I truly love to do is hold space for people to connect- to each other, to the deepest parts of themselves, to food and how it supports their bodies, to the land and the medicine it provides and to spirit. Read more>>
Gretchen Campbell
I think I’m still finding my purpose as my career unfolds. In the early stages of my career, I had a vision of how my life/career would unfold. Some of those visions have come to pass but many have changed and/or developed into something larger than I ever expected. Read more>>
Cindy Ojczyk
My purpose found me when I began writing a book to inspire more people to foster companion animals. As I fleshed out the stories and developed the arc, my calling soon shifted to helping parents of teens and parents of pets because our goals for them are the same—that they may thrive as individuals yet remain connected strongly to us. Read more>>
Elle Black
I find my purpose in different ways all the time. Whether it’s joining the US Navy, intervening in an attempted carjacking, saving an animal from the euthanasia list at the shelter, or even just grabbing a few grocery carts from the lot and putting them back into the corral. Read more>>
Yesse Rodriguez
I consider myself fortunate to have discovered my calling at the tender age of 11 when I was invited to join a children’s television show. This opportunity ignited my passion, which I’ve carried with me through high school and into adulthood. Read more>>
Leticia Castillo
I believe that everyone has a unique voice that deserves to be heard, and I have found my purpose in using music therapy to ensure that voice can shine, especially for neurodiverse individuals. Through my work, I strive to create a safe, welcoming environment where music becomes a bridge, connecting people and transcending differences. Read more>>
Cherika R Shields
As a child of God, I found my purpose through a spiritual dimension, grounded in my faith and belief system. My roles as a Nurse, Life Coach and now Author are opportunities to fulfill my purpose by serving others, spreading kindness, compassion, and hope, and living out my values in all aspects of my life and work. Read more>>
Alexandreia Graham
One day my mother came home not feeling too well. She went to the doctor and they explained that her blood pressure was extremely high and that she would have to start taking blood pressure medication. I’ve always had a health and wellness background from the love of being an athlete. Read more>>
