18 Jan 2026 5 min read Wellbeing

Are You Living Your Purpose?

Here's an important question we don't often ask about our work:

"Am I living my purpose?"

Most of us intuitively know the answer.

Perhaps at your current job, you know you're not. Or maybe you're living your purpose somewhat, but not fully.

And then comes the harder question:

"What is my purpose?"

I don’t mean something you logically rationalize. I’m talking about a work calling — something you feel a burning desire for, something that feels like you were put on this Earth to do.

This is a much tougher question, one that I myself also struggle with.

I find a lot of fulfillment in speaking, writing, and travel optometry... but I still don’t know what my work calling is.

But my journey has taught me one thing:

You’ll never find your purpose by thinking about it; you uncover it by doing.

Finding Your Life Partner

When asked about finding their life partner, people often say:

"I just knew."

But that's not the full story.

In Art of Work, Jeff Goins compares finding romantic love to finding work calling:

"Sure, falling in love may be a mysterious process, but it is also an intentional one. He asked you out, you said yes, you kissed, and you decided to see each other exclusively. There is a process. No one is going to give you a map.

Explore, try new things, keep your feet moving. Something will grab you. It is no different than falling in love.

You can't sit on your couch and decide you are going to marry a certain girl.

Finding your purpose is not a magical epiphany. It's more like a series of intentional steps.

You'll never figure out your purpose by thinking about it.

Purpose isn’t something you think into existence. It’s something you feel.

Imagine locking yourself in a room until you “figure out” your purpose. You’d probably come up with things like:

“Maybe it’s helping people?”
“Something to do with creativity?”
“Coaching? Leadership?”

These might offer clues, but none of them are your true purpose. Your purpose isn’t something you have to guess or analyze — it’s something you know and feel deep down.

You uncover your purpose by "doing."

You don’t find your purpose by thinking harder.
You find it by doing:

See what lights you up.
Lean into your passions and strengths.
Double down on what makes you different.

Experiment. Play. Take on projects that help you grow!

Every step teaches you something — your values, your strengths, your passions.

Even a step in the wrong direction gives you invaluable insight.

So... How Do You Start?

I'm a big believer in embracing a "portfolio career":
Your main job gives you stability so that you can pursue a passion project seriously.

Be authentic. Share your interests publicly.
When you put your passion into the world, the world rearranges itself around it.

Doors you never imagined will open.

This has been my experience — and the experience of many others who designed their own path:

I didn’t know my well-being blog would lead to speaking invitations and travel optometry.
Dr. Janice didn’t know her social content would open doors to the cosmetics industry.
Dr. Benjamin didn’t know his mission trips would lead to a professorship at KYCO.

You don’t need a perfect roadmap. You just need to take that first step.

The first article.
The first video.
The first project.

I can’t wait for you to experience the unexpected places those steps will take you.

A Foggy Trail

Imagine you’re walking along a trail on a foggy morning. You can’t see where it leads, and you certainly can’t see the final destination.

Most of us want that certainty — to know the route, the turns, the end point. But staying still doesn’t make the fog lift. It only keeps you stuck on the trail.

On the other hand, taking steps forward through the fog slowly reveals the path ahead, little bits at a time.

I believe purpose reveals itself the way a foggy trail does. Don't wait for an epiphany, get moving!