How did you find your purpose?

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.

Deidre Braley

I began my career as an elementary educator straight out of college. Education came naturally to me; in it I found the ability to be both creative AND goal-oriented, compassionate AND rigorous, social AND independent. I particularly loved challenging students to see the power that was lying fallow inside of them, planning curriculum across the entire year, and helping other professionals become the best teachers they could be. Read more>>

Paige Johnson-Serjue

I found my purpose by accident. I remember at a young age I was never consumed with the thought of marriage or kids whenever my parents friends would ask what I wanted to do or be when I grew up. I always knew I wanted kids but what I wanted to do more of was change the world. Read more>>

Female Health Education

As board certified OBGYNs at Cedars Sinai we see patients every day in the office with sexual health concerns. We hear their struggles with finding accurate, succinct health information online. It’s overwhelming and disempowering. And, at the end of the day. Read more>>

Rafael A. López

Younger, I dreamt of becoming a comic book artist. The freedom to let one’s imagination run loose, trying to make sense of the world by capturing a story within frames, felt oddly appealing. However, I quickly realized the meticulous nature of the work and the infinite amount of patience it required to finish only one board. Being semi-impatient at this age, I needed a “faster” medium to see stories come to life and instead turned towards short stop-motion animated films using Legos and clay. Read more>>

Dr. Paulette Harper

Finding my purpose has been a journey filled with self-discovery and exploration. It’s been a process of understanding myself, my passions, and what truly brings meaning to my life. Along the way, I’ve tried different things, pursued various interests, and reflected deeply on what resonates with me on a fundamental level. Read more>>

Victoria Johnson

I like to say that purpose found me, quietly and loudly all at the same time. I always loved writing and the community of people. Since I was a child, while I did not speak much, I was always immersed in language. I wanted to know the stories of some, and write the stories of many, including my own.  Read more>>

Layla McMurtrie

Hey! My name is Layla McMurtrie and I am a Detroit-based journalist and co-founder of the community organization The Vision Detroit. While I am unsure if I have one specific purpose in life, I think that my biggest passion is merging communications with art and community work. I discovered these passions throughout my life through waves of different personal and professional experiences. Read more>>

Mikayla Elias

I started out thinking that I wanted to go into music production; I found purpose in helping others create. That world was really trying, for a myriad of reasons. It took me nearly a decade learning and working in that world to find that it simply wasn’t for me. Read more>>

Julie Anne Christophe

People often ask me, “How did you find your purpose?” The truth is, I believe you don’t “find” your purpose; it reveals itself to you as you follow your inner pull—the one thing that excites you, speaks to you, and calls you to explore, learn, do, and share. This is exactly what happened to me. Read more>>

Kimberly Maisto

I found my true purpose when I became a mom. I was hyper focused on my children. I did not grow up in the best of environments and felt sad and alone most of my life. I had a very successful and extraordinary life filled with many ups and downs. I grew up in NY and worked on Wall Street before I became a NYC Police Officer.  Read more>>

Lindsay Cunningham

In the hustle and bustle of a high-stress corporate job, I found myself caught in the whirlwind of deadlines and demands, my days blending into a blur of monotony. But amidst the chaos, a silent longing tugged at my heartstrings—a desire for something more, something fulfilling beyond the confines of my office walls. Read more>>

Bailey Wyatt

I’ve been fascinated with animation for as long as I can remember. When I was little, I would sit for hours watching Disney movies on VHS and pause them on the characters I liked most, just so I could practice drawing them. Read more>>

Danubia Farias

I was born in a small town in the interior of South Brazil, and from a very early age, I knew there was more out there. I loved to read, dreamed of a world beyond the confines of my upbringing, and had a certainty and confidence within me that I could achieve whatever I wanted, as long as I had focus and dedication. So, I left my hometown to pursue a degree in architecture. Read more>>

Karl Jones

My purpose has been ingrained in me since childhood. I’ve always had an innate drive to share knowledge with whoever would listen. From my earliest memories, I was letting people know about how to get free lunches and summer jobs because my mom worked for the Department of Human Services.  Read more>>

Christopher Razor

In elementary school, I would walk lower grades to PE, run their warmups, and support with their daily activities. I was student council president and had weekly meetings with the principal. I was in band, choir, and theater. I participated in spelling bees, oratorical contests, and the Math Olympics. I loved school!  Read more>>

Jessica Lauren

To be completely honest, my purpose found me. I never had the right answer growing up for “what I wanted to be when I grew up”. The kids in my class all had ideas, regardless if that’s where they ended up, they still had something that they could pinpoint, “fireman”, “teacher”, “lawyer”, and of course, “nurse.”  Read more>>

Deborah Vallon

I didn’t have a normal childhood. I know that sounds a bit of a typical way to start my story but the events that took place don’t seem typical to the normal person, and it helps you understand my path leading up to my purpose. I grew up in a troubled-some town in Haiti, one of the smallest islands on the map, where witchcraft, shape-shifters, having nightly out-of-body experiences, being in contact with light beings, and even contact with what some call aliens were the norm for the population that lived there. Read more>>

Christina Perez

Im a care taker. I love taking care of people I love taking care of animals. It’s in my bones, it’s who I am, it’s my purpose I just really enjoy it. When I found out my son was a person with autism right before he turned two I just wanted to know how best to care for him so he could live the fullfilling life he deserves. Read more>>

Jonathan Schecter

I found my purpose during one of the lowest points of my life when I experienced profound empathy. Despite years of meditation, psychedelic exploration, somatic therapy, sweat lodges, ice baths, breathwork, and other voluntary inner work, a shock trauma left me terrified, alone, and seemingly erased all the progress I had made. Read more>>

Heather Domingue

I believe that in knowing that my purpose is to live and love, my passions are allowed to develop and grow. At one point in my life I asked myself what was my purpose a million times. However, once I truly became grateful for my life did I understand that my purpose exceeds more than what I can physically do. It is simply who I am. Read more>>

Rohini Walker

I like to think of my purpose as an evolving process with a fundamental essence or theme. My purpose first started to make itself known to me through the voice of my intuition – which I began to hear and discern more clearly from the other voices in my psyche as I started to make intentional space for silence and stillness in my day to day life. Read more>>

Josh Williams

When I was a young child my uncle would take me to the movie theater. I remember seeing The Dark Crystal, ET, Indiana Jones, Star Wars and many films that were intended for older audience. My uncle also had a huge VHS collection where I would discover more movies that weren’t in theaters like Ghost Busters, Tron or Star Trek. I was really into movies and being caught up in the story telling. Read more>>

Danni Viafore

I think most people spend at least some portion of their lives wondering what they’re here to do; what the biggest mark they will make on this world will be. I have been consumed by the question of my purpose for most of my life (which I think is pretty par for the course for us philosophy-majors-turned-writers). Read more>>

Dorian Carriere

I found my purpose when I realized my passion was creating art, particularly through crafting. Although I enjoyed various forms of artistic expression, there was something uniquely fulfilling about making fashion accessories, such as necklaces, beaded bracelets, and other trinkets for my loved ones. Read more>>

Kiera Doyle

I’ve always been driven to find meaning in what I do. Throughout my 20s, I was determined to figure out how I was going to make my mark on the world. I moved from Boston to New York City, diving into various roles as a writer, yoga instructor, and hairdresser before finally landing my “dream job” in corporate beauty.  Read more>>

Tammy Newmark

It emerged during my first job post-college on Wall Street in the 1980s. Learning of the emergence of the microfinance industry and seeing alternatives to utilizing investment capital for social good, I concluded that I should use my skills and interest to drive for change. Read more>>

My journey to my purpose—to be conscious, present, and alive and empower others (especially women) to live present, passionate, and fully engaged lives—began in childhood. I always wanted more. Even as a girl, I sensed there was something more to life than what I saw around me–but I didn’t know what that really was or how to achieve it. Read more>>

Yujia Li

Family, friends, and beliefs are the three main influences that shape my understanding of the world and myself, helping me to find my purpose. Through interacting and communicating with others, I build deep connections with the people I care about, fostering feelings of empathy and compassion. These feelings drive my artistic creation, allowing me to portray stories that connect people with shared experiences. Read more>>

Kemi Blake

I once believed that my early years would define my lifelong path, filled with vigor and purpose. Yet, my reality was different. Growing up in an underserved New York City community, survival was the norm, and “finding your purpose” seemed a luxury. Read more>>

Cameron Gazaway

When I was young, I was always enamored by film and TV. The idea of transporting yourself into a different world was so fascinating to me. I remember playing around with my dad’s camcorder and editing clips together on iMovie or Windows Movie Maker, just wanting to mimic some of the things I had been watching. Read more>>

Robbie Cabral

Let’s be honest, traditional locks can be a real pain in the neck. We’ve all been there, right? Hitting the gym, ready to crush a workout, only to realize you forgot your locker key (or worse, left it inside!). That struggle hit me especially hard when the gym became my go-to spot for some much-needed stress relief. Read more>>

Erin Brown

I have a penchant for mules. They really are their own creatures. Part horse, part donkey, part alien! They are truly incredible animals. Smart, sassy, spunky, fiery in all the best ways. So when I saw this large draft mule walk past me out of the chute to the loose sale pens at the Livestock Auction in Bowie, TX, I was immediately drawn to her like a magnet. Read more>>

Ludwig Paredes

Since very young age I have been in a family of artist and musicians, I start music when I was 7 y/o and my father and my brother are musicians too and I knew that the music was going to be my passion and my purpose in life. Read more>>

Makaela Bamonti

I believe that “purpose” is a dynamic journey within our human experience, constantly evolving and fluid. However, I discovered one of my purposes here on Earth after my father passed away from cancer in 2019. It felt as though a significant part of myself had also died, only to be reborn into a stronger, more present, and authentic version of myself. Read more>>

larry moore

To live fulfilling lives, we need three things: a sense of reason or an acceptable model of the world that explains why we are here, a sense of place or the connection to a tribe, ideal, or geographic place that grounds us, and a sense of purpose or the desire to be a part of something bigger to affirm our existence. Read more>>

Jai Reese

Over the years I found (and continue to find) my purpose by engaging medicines such as cannabis and psilocybin-containing mushrooms in intentional ritualistic ways. As therapy and medicines supported me in moving through childhood hardship and embracing my queer, spiritual, autistic nuerowildness I realized I wanted to share that support with others through processes of mutual healing, remembering, and creating. Read more>>

Emma-Jane Barlow

I have always known my purpose. And that is to write, to create, to tell stories. I started writing poetry at the age of seven and I have never stopped. Throughout my childhood and adolescence, I would fill notebooks with stories, poems and songs. If I wasn’t writing, I was reading. Absorbing as many books as I possibly could. Read more>>

Leah Howard

Growing up as a chronically anxious kid, I struggled to articulate what I was feeling. The sense of unease and the constant feeling that something was off overwhelmed me, leading me to believe that if I could predict every outcome, I could regain some control in my unpredictable world. Read more>>

Tressa Jones

The pursuit of purpose is a dynamic process of continual discovery and refinement. My voyage has been a testament to this truth. Initially, my art practice was a curiosity, something I wondered about.
During my college years, I cast my net wide, exploring various career avenues. Yet, amidst the hustle and bustle, exhaustion and depression crept in, a silent messenger urging me to pause and reflect. Read more>>

Adasha Nelson

I found my purpose through my motivation to find a fulfilling career! After I moved to the US from Kazakhstan, I had no idea what I should do or where to go professionally. Working in a few local stores didn’t spark too much joy because I was working early hours or very late nights, plus weekends all the time. I started to dream about a job with normal working hours and weekends off. Read more>>