Tiny Wisdom: On Finding Your Purpose

“There is not one big cosmic meaning for all, there is only the meaning we each give to our life, an individual meaning, an individual plot, like an individual novel, a book for each person.” ~Anais Nin

Someone asked me recently if I feel as though my life has changed since I found my purpose and started living it. This struck me as odd because it seems to imply before I discovered a professional path that felt meaningful to me, my life was meaningless.

It’s a logical conclusion: The opposite of having a purpose is being purposeless, doing without intent or value.

But in retrospect, I have always had a purpose, even if it wasn’t work related.

When I was at some of the lowest points of my life, my purpose was to get strong. When I was trying to find what I want to do professionally, my purpose was to explore. And I’ve learned we’re all born with a shared purpose we can acknowledge or deny—to simply be good for other people.

These things may not seem significant in the grand scheme of things, but they’re absolutely meaningful.

We might not always feel like we’re making the impact we’d like to make on the world, but that doesn’t mean that what we do doesn’t matter. Just like every action has its own purpose, every day contains its own meaning. It’s up to us to decide whether or not it’s something valuable, for our own evolution and for the people we love.

What does today mean to you?

Photo by Rose Zhang

About Lori Deschene

Lori Deschene is the founder of Tiny Buddha. She started the site after struggling with depression, bulimia, and toxic shame so she could recycle her former pain into something useful and inspire others do the same. She recently created the Breaking Barriers to Self-Care eCourse to help people honor their needs—so they can feel their best, be their best, and live their best possible life. If you’re ready to start thriving instead of merely surviving, you can learn more and get instant access here.

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