Ask a Latina is your advice column offering personal and professional guidance. Submit your question here.
Dear Ask a Latina,
I find myself at a crossroads in life, grappling with the age-old question: What is my purpose?
Despite pursuing various interests and endeavors, I can’t shake this nagging feeling of emptiness and uncertainty about where I’m headed. I want a sense of direction and fulfillment, but I’m not sure how to discover or define my true purpose.
How can I embark on a journey of self-discovery to uncover what truly brings meaning and fulfillment to my life?
Any guidance or exercises you could recommend to help me navigate this quest for purpose would be immensely appreciated.
– Searching
Dear Searching,
Finding our purpose can be an uncomfortable, long journey. What we feel called to do, what we’re paid to do, and what people say we excel at can all be different!
Then there are societal expectations and Hollywood versions of purpose. For me, purpose is what you feel like you’re meant to do.
Questions to Help You Find Your Sense of Purpose
- What makes you feel alive?
- What are you naturally good at?
- How does it seem you uniquely help others?
- What kind of activities make you feel satisfied in your heart, soul or being?
Consider what you know about yourself at this moment in time. We change as we learn and grow, so focus your search for purpose on this current season of life only. Changes like getting married, having children, experiencing a loss and such may shift what you feel your purpose is.
Life is seasonal, but what we value (care about) tends to basically remain the same as we change. We can find many meaningful moments that come together as our purpose when we put what we care about into action through our work, our personal life, or what we create.
Resources to Explore
Why the search for meaning can cause ‘purpose anxiety,’ and what to do about it
