Setting Out to Find Your Purpose

Have you found yourself? Is there purpose in your life?

We often think of finding our purpose in a very ‘Eat Pray Love’ fashion. Leaving all of our obligations behind to set out on a soul-searching quest that will offer us new information about ourselves and the world around us. Far travels, extreme experiences and a big picture evaluation of what we truly value in life.

Maybe there’s something to that method of exploration. Unfortunately, not everyone can realistically leave their responsibilities to travel the world for a year. Which brings up an interesting, counter-cultural question–– must we really ‘set out’ to find our purpose? Or, can we find purpose in the places in which we already exist?  

We often view the monotony of routine as the opposite of purpose in our lives. As our daily routines begin to feel insignificant and mundane, we seek something outside of them to feel more meaning. But, have you ever experienced a job search that felt like it would never end? Or been on a vacation that was simply too long? In those moments, while you may be free from some responsibility, you desire it more than ever–– you probably yearn for the purpose that exists in the mundane routine of going to work each day or picking your kids up from school.

There’s a reality that we may not like to admit–– that the very things making us feel ‘tied down’ (jobs, school, family, responsibilities), are the same things that offer us a sense of purpose.

Where do you find your purpose?