A Journey Toward Purpose, Presence, and Personal Truth
I’ve always found it fascinating how some people find deep satisfaction in stability, working the same job for years, living in the same town, and settling into a rhythm they love. And that’s beautiful. But that’s not me.
Some of us are wired differently, always searching, restless, and drawn toward change and possibility. I’m one of those people. My search hasn’t just been about the outer world; it’s been an inner excavation. A persistent, sometimes a bit irritating question has echoed inside me: Why am I here? What is the purpose of my life?
It’s not always a comfortable question, but for me, it’s a necessary one.
Values as Compass
For years now, I’ve done a personal “check-in” every January. I reflect on what matters to me, what’s shifted, and what kind of life I want to build. At the center of this ritual are my values. They guide how I show up, for myself, for others, and for the world.
These aren’t abstract concepts. They shape how I care for myself, how I face uncertainty with courage, how I hold integrity close, how I lead with compassion, and how I choose joy, even in the face of suffering.
A Lifelong Curiosity
Even as a child, I sensed something deeper beneath the surface of life, something I couldn’t quite name. A kind of invisible thread that tied beauty, pain, and spirit together. That longing shaped my path, leading me through healing, truth-telling, and eventually, a deeper connection to meaning.
What Gives Life Meaning?
I can’t talk about meaning without mentioning Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl.
Frankl (1905-1997)- a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, wrote that our need for meaning is as essential as food or air. In Auschwitz, he observed that survival often came down not to strength, but to purpose: someone to love, a vision to pursue, or a reason that gave suffering context.
That insight cracked something open in me. It affirmed a truth I had long suspected: much of our modern anxiety comes not just from trauma, but from disconnection from meaning itself.
Psychologists call this the existential vacuum—the hollow feeling when life lacks purpose. In a world obsessed with speed and productivity, it’s easy to forget what really matters.
So… how do we reconnect?
The Doorway of Pain
For me, meaning came through the doorway of pain.
I wouldn’t wish suffering on anyone. But I’ve found that it was the cracks in my life that let the light in.
Healing became more than personal. It became ancestral, communal, and relational. I realized the trauma I carried didn’t begin with me, and that my healing could ripple outward. If pain can be passed down, so can love.
Eventually, I saw that the search for healing and the search for meaning were not separate journeys; they were the same.
Practices That Keep Me Connected
I believe meaning isn’t something you find once; it’s something you cultivate—again and again. It’s a living relationship between your inner truth and the outer world.
1. Reflect on Suffering
Ask yourself:
- What has my pain taught me?
- What strength or insight emerged from it?
- Who have I become because of what I’ve endured?
My truth: “I know where I come from, I know my ancestors’ pain… I honor my small little beings…”
Supportive practices:
- Ancestral journaling or meditation: Write letters to your ancestors, thanking them for the lessons that shaped you. Include your healing as part of their legacy.
- Inner child meditation: Visualize your younger selves. Speak words of love and understanding.
- Timeline healing: Draw a life timeline. Mark painful events, and next to each, write what you gained: resilience, empathy, insight.
Often, our purpose hides in the places where we’ve suffered most.
2. Feel What Makes You Alive
Ask yourself:
- When do I feel most alive or expansive?
- What am I drawn to naturally?
- When do I lose track of time?
- What brings me into flow or deep connection?
My truth: When I’m in nature, meeting nourishing people, having a good laugh, or stepping out of my comfort zone.”
Supportive practices:
- Weekly joy ritual: Make a list of your “aliveness activities” and schedule at least one each week. (Forest walk, coffee with a friend, music jam.)
- Energy tracking: At the end of each day, journal: “What gave me energy today? What drained me?” Let this guide your choices.
- Follow the sparks: If you’re drawn to birdsong, follow it. If you’re drawn to dance, move. Your soul often whispers before it speaks.
These are breadcrumbs, clues from the soul.
3. Serve Something Bigger
Meaning grows when we serve something beyond ourselves, whether it’s our family, our community, a cause, or the Earth itself.
Ask yourself:
- Who am I showing up for?
- How does my life contribute to the whole?
Even small acts, raising kind children, or showing up for a friend, can be revolutionary.
4. Practice Presence
Meaning is not just a mental idea; it’s a felt experience.
My core practices include:
- Time in nature
- Breathwork and meditation
- Stillness and silence
- Movement and ritual
These remind me I am not separate from life. I am life.
5. Create, Don’t Just Consume
Create beauty. Create a connection. Create space.
For me, that looks like writing, music, singing, painting, meeting new people, and playing the ukulele.
You don’t have to be an artist. Create a meal. A garden. A journal entry. Creation is a powerful antidote to emptiness.
6. Revisit Your Values
As mentioned earlier, I return to my values every January. I reflect on:
- What’s changed?
- Who am I becoming?
- Am I living in integrity with what I say?
My core values: self-care, courage, integrity, compassion, and joy. They are my compass. I don’t always follow them perfectly, but I return to them, like a lighthouse in the fog.
On Self-Compassion
In my journey, I’ve learned that meaning cannot thrive without self-compassion. This means treating yourself with the same kindness you’d offer a friend.
It’s a daily practice that includes:
- Mindfulness: Acknowledging your emotions without judgment
- Self-kindness: Softening the inner critic
- Common humanity: Knowing you are not alone in your struggle
- Forgiveness: Letting go of perfectionism
- Support: Asking for help when needed
Gentleness with ourselves creates space for growth and truth.
The Journey Is the Point
Finding your life’s purpose isn’t a single destination. It’s an unfolding. A relationship. A way of being.
If life feels messy or hollow, know this:
You don’t need all the answers.
You just need a connection –
To your truth.
To your values.
To others.
To life.
I’m not here just to heal, I’m here to live, to love, to serve.
To let my life become a message, not just of survival, but of beauty and belonging.
What about you?
What if your life, exactly as it is, chaos and all, is already the ground of your purpose?
If you’re curious about deepening your connection to meaning, whether through personal exploration or psychedelic work, I’d be honored to walk beside you.
Holistic Wellbeings 
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