Table of Contents
For years, I felt like a fraud.
By day, I was a practitioner in the field of human potential, a coach who guided executives, creatives, and leaders through the labyrinth of their own ambitions.
I had the frameworks, the five-step plans, the motivational quotes.
I spoke the language of purpose fluently.
But by night, when the silence of my own life settled in, a different voice would whisper.
It was a quiet, persistent hum of meaninglessness, a hollow ache that no amount of professional success could fill.
I was living inside what I now call the “Purpose Trap.” It’s a cultural obsession, a pressure cooker that tells us we were each born for a singular, grand, and easily articulable purpose, and that our cosmic mission is to find it.1
This quest, as researcher Jordan Harbinger notes, has become a “Cult of Purpose,” where not having a clear answer feels like a personal failing.2
This pressure doesn’t just come from self-help books; it’s woven into the fabric of our society.
We’re taught from a young age that meaning is tied to productivity and ambition, a race we must win or else our time is wasted.3
The result is a pervasive and painful anxiety.
Studies and anecdotal reports are filled with people who feel lost, hopeless, and alone in this search.4
They feel like they are aimlessly going through life, which can lead to depression, isolation, and even physical ailments.4
One survey found that nearly 40% of Americans reported they hadn’t discovered a satisfying life purpose.2
I was one of them.
I felt like a problem that needed to be solved, and the more I tried to solve it, the more broken I felt.
Part I: The Purpose Trap: My Search for a Flawless Blueprint
My deepest frustration, the experience that finally forced me to question everything I thought I knew, came from one of the most popular purpose-finding tools in the world: the Ikigai diagram.
On paper, it’s beautiful.
Originating from a Japanese concept loosely translated as “a reason for being,” the modern Westernized version presents four overlapping circles: What You Love, What You’re Good At, What the World Needs, and What You Can Be Paid For.7
The sweet spot in the middle, where all four intersect, is your Ikigai—your purpose.
It seemed so logical, so clean.
It was a map.
And I, a high-achiever, love maps.
So I set out to fill in the boxes.
I made lists.
I brainstormed.
I treated it like a high-stakes exam.
“What do I love?” I wrote down things like “reading historical fiction” and “long walks in the woods.” “What am I good at?” “Public speaking,” “data analysis,” “making a decent sourdough.” “What can I be paid for?” My coaching work, writing.
“What does the world need?” This one was always paralyzing.
Climate solutions? Social justice? Better leadership? The needs felt infinite and overwhelming.
The more I tried to force these disparate parts of my life to converge into one perfect, marketable “purpose,” the more I felt like a failure.
My love for medieval history didn’t neatly align with my skill in corporate coaching.
My talent for baking didn’t seem to solve a pressing global need.
Instead of clarity, the process generated what researchers now identify as “purpose anxiety”—the stress and nervousness that comes from the struggle to find purpose itself.10
I was caught in the exact traps that psychologist Dr. Jane Rubin identifies in her practice: I had an idea of what my purpose
should be that was too rigid and inflexible, and I was terrified of making the wrong choice.11
This experience illuminates a fundamental flaw in how we approach the search for meaning.
We treat our lives like a machine to be optimized or a problem to be solved.
Frameworks like the Ikigai diagram, when misapplied, become blueprints for a perfect machine that we are supposed to build.
But human lives are not machines.
We are messy, contradictory, and gloriously inefficient.
When our complex, authentic selves don’t fit into the neat, clean boxes of the blueprint, we don’t question the blueprint; we conclude that we are the ones who are flawed.
We feel we are “directionless meat puppets in a purpose-driven world,” as one writer aptly put it.2
This feeling is agonizingly common.
I’ve heard it echoed in countless client sessions and seen it in the desperate pleas on online forums.
People feel stuck, bored, and empty, like their life has no meaning.5
They feel isolated, believing they are the only ones who haven’t figured it out, especially when surrounded by peers who seem to have a clear path.2
They try self-help books and motivational videos, only to feel more alienated when the advice doesn’t apply to their unique, un-categorizable life.12
The very tools designed to liberate us were, for me and for so many others, becoming a cage.
My quest for a flawless blueprint had led me to a dead end, leaving me feeling more broken and lost than when I began.
Part II: The Epiphany in the Cathedral: Discovering the Stained-Glass Self
My turning point didn’t come from a book, a seminar, or another color-coded diagram.
It came in a moment of quiet desperation.
I was traveling, feeling adrift and defeated by my “purpose project,” and I wandered into an old, cavernous cathedral, seeking nothing more than silence and a place to sit.
My eyes drifted upwards, and I was stopped cold.
High above, a magnificent stained-glass window dominated the wall.
Sunlight streamed through it, fracturing into a thousand points of incandescent color—deep cobalt blues, fiery reds, emerald greens, and radiant golds.
I was mesmerized.
And in that moment of awe, a profound realization washed over me, a paradigm shift that re-wired my entire understanding of purpose.
We are not problems to be solved.
We are not machines to be optimized.
We are stained-glass windows.
Think about it.
The breathtaking beauty of a stained-glass window does not come from a single, perfect, flawless sheet of glass.
If it were just a clear pane, the light would pass through, but it wouldn’t create Art. The beauty is born from an assemblage of what were once broken pieces.
It is a mosaic of shards—fragments of different colors, shapes, and sizes, each one unique.13
These pieces are then carefully arranged and held together by a dark, strong framework of leading.
And the final, glorious image is only revealed when an external source of light shines
through it, transforming the collection of fragments into a radiant, coherent whole.15
In an instant, my entire struggle was reframed.
My “flaws,” my past traumas, my failures, my eclectic and seemingly disconnected skills, my painful experiences—they were not bugs to be fixed.
They were not evidence of my brokenness.
They were the very shards of colored glass that, when gathered and assembled, would create my unique and irreplaceable image.
The goal was never to become a perfect, clear, invisible pane of glass.
The goal was to be a work of art, made beautiful by its fragments.
This analogy provided a new, compassionate language for my life.
The shame I felt for my “messy” past began to transform into curiosity.
What color was that piece of glass from my first business failure? A deep, somber blue, perhaps, full of wisdom.
What about the shard from a painful heartbreak? A fiery, passionate R.D. My oddball hobbies, my winding career path, my moments of joy and my periods of grief—they were all my materials.
I didn’t need to find a purpose; I needed to become an artist and build one from the raw materials of my own life.
This new paradigm, “The Stained-Glass Self,” stands in stark contrast to the conventional “Problem-to-Solve” approach that had caused me so much pain.
To make this shift concrete, I developed a simple table to capture the difference:
| Contrasting Paradigms: The ‘Problem-to-Solve’ vs. ‘The Stained-Glass Self’ | |
| The “Problem-to-Solve” Approach (The Machine) | The “Stained-Glass Self” Approach (The Window) |
| Goal: Find the one “right” answer or passion. | Goal: Integrate all of your life’s pieces into a unique whole. |
| View of Flaws: Bugs to be fixed, weaknesses to be eliminated. | View of Flaws: Essential, colorful shards that create the final image. |
| Process: An external search, filling in boxes (like Ikigai). | Process: An internal process of assembly and illumination. |
| Source of Anxiety: Fear of being wrong, not fitting the mold.11 | Source of Meaning: The act of contribution and expression. |
| Underlying Question: “What is my purpose?” | Underlying Question: “How can I assemble my pieces and let my light shine through?” |
This shift from “finding” to “building” was liberating.
It took the pressure off.
There was no single right answer to discover, only a unique creation to bring into the world.
It suggested that purpose isn’t a static noun we possess, but an active verb we perform.
It’s not something we have, it’s something we do.
This epiphany didn’t just give me an answer; it gave me a whole new way to live.
It gave me a framework.
Part III: The Stained-Glass Self Framework: The Four Elements of a Purposeful Life
The stained-glass metaphor is more than just a beautiful idea; it provides a practical, four-part framework for a life of meaning.
It breaks down the overwhelming quest for “purpose” into a creative process of gathering, assembling, and illuminating.
Each step integrates profound psychological principles and offers a clear path forward.
Pillar 1: The Shards of Glass: Assembling Your Authentic Materials
The first step in creating a stained-glass window is to gather your materials.
An artist doesn’t discard pieces of glass because they are jagged or oddly shaped; they see the potential in every fragment.
This pillar is about radical self-inventory and acceptance.
It’s about collecting all the pieces of who you are—the bright and the dark, the strong and the fragile—without judgment.
This process goes far beyond a simple list of strengths and weaknesses.
A truly authentic inventory includes:
- Your Passions and Skills: This is the most straightforward part of the collection. What activities make you lose track of time?8 What are you genuinely good at, perhaps so naturally that you don’t even see it as a skill?17 Ask trusted friends for their perspective; they often see strengths in us that we overlook.17 These are your foundational pieces of clear and brightly colored glass.
- Your “Favorite Flavor of Shit Sandwich”: This wonderfully blunt concept from author Mark Manson asks a crucial question: What struggle or sacrifice are you uniquely willing to tolerate?1 Every path involves some form of unpleasantness. The ability to handle the specific “shit sandwich” of a particular field—the late nights coding, the rejection of a creative pursuit, the bureaucratic slog of a large organization—is a powerful competitive advantage. This tells you what you’re built to endure, and that endurance is a vital, sturdy piece of your window.
- Your Childhood Passions: Think back to what you loved before the world told you what you should love. What made your 8-year-old self come alive? Was it organizing things, getting lost in fantasy worlds, teaching someone, or solving technical problems?1 Often, the social and professional pressures of adulthood squeeze these authentic passions out of us, teaching us to do things only for external rewards.1 Reconnecting with these lost loves can unearth some of the most vibrant and genuine colors for your mosaic.
- The Wisdom from Your Wounds: This is the most transformative, and often most neglected, part of the inventory. Your deepest pains, your most profound failures, and your hardest-won battles are not liabilities. They are your most precious materials. In the language of the metaphor, the most beautiful stained-glass windows are made of broken glass.14 Adversity is a powerful catalyst for purpose. Many people find their mission after experiencing hardship, like a person who experienced racism becoming a civil rights advocate, or someone who suffered a severe illness deciding to study medicine.17 Your scars are not signs of damage; they are the etchings that give a piece of glass its unique character and depth. Oprah Winfrey rose from poverty and abuse, J.K. Rowling from rejection and financial struggle, and Stephen Hawking from a devastating diagnosis—all turning their adversity into a source of profound strength and contribution.19
A meaningful life is not built on a foundation of strengths alone.
It is built on the courageous integration of our strengths and our scars.
Purpose is often found at the precise intersection of what you are good at and what has hurt you.
By gathering all these pieces—your skills, your tolerance for struggle, your childhood joys, and your hard-won wisdom from adversity—you assemble the authentic, powerful, and unique materials needed to build a life that is truly your own.
Pillar 2: The Leading: Forging Connection and Belonging
Individual shards of glass, no matter how beautiful, are fragile and disconnected.
On their own, they are just a pile of fragments.
What transforms them into a coherent window is the “leading”—the dark, strong framework of soldered metal that holds each piece in place, defines its edges, and connects it to the whole.
In the Stained-Glass Self framework, this leading represents the fundamental human need for Relatedness, a core pillar of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) developed by psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan.20
SDT posits that for psychological growth and well-being, humans have three innate needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
Relatedness is the need to feel connected to others, to care for and be cared for by others, and to have a sense of belonging.22
Purpose is almost never a solo mission; it is forged, refined, and expressed within a community.
A strong sense of belonging is consistently linked to higher mental well-being and a more powerful perception of meaning in life.24
Our communities act as the crucible in which our purpose is formed.
They provide:
- Support and Validation: When we are wrestling with our fragments, a supportive community offers the emotional safety to be vulnerable. Sharing our struggles and aspirations with people who believe in us can provide the validation we need to keep going.26
- Perspective and Guidance: Communities are ecosystems of shared experience. A local artists’ collective, a professional network, a volunteer group, or even a tight-knit group of friends can offer practical advice, mentorship, and role models who have navigated similar paths.26
- A Context for Contribution: Being part of a group helps us see how our unique collection of glass shards can serve a collective need. It shifts the focus from “What is my purpose?” to “How can my unique abilities contribute to this group I care about?”.27
For many people, the “leading” is not just a support structure for their purpose; the relationships are the purpose.
The profound meaning found in raising children, caring for a partner, or being a steadfast friend is a powerful and valid life purpose in itself.4
Research on the longest-living and happiest people on the planet found the highest correlation was with having deep, meaningful relationships.29
Your individual window, your unique self, gains its strength and much of its meaning from how it connects to the windows around it.
It is part of a larger mosaic in the wall of a great cathedral.
The leading of community and connection is what holds you together and integrates you into the larger story of humanity.
Pillar 3: The Light Source: Activating Meaning Through Contribution
A stained-glass window, assembled and installed, is still dark and lifeless in an unlit room.
Its colors are muted, its story invisible.
The magic happens only when light shines through it, activating the colors and projecting its beautiful image into the world.
This light is the active, intentional expression of your assembled self.
It is the energy of contribution.
This aligns perfectly with the core tenet of Logotherapy, the school of psychotherapy founded by psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl.
After enduring the unimaginable horrors of Nazi concentration camps, Frankl concluded that the primary motivational force in humans is not the pursuit of pleasure (as Freud believed) or power (as Adler taught), but a “will to meaning”.30
Purpose isn’t something you find in passive contemplation; it’s something you forge through action.
Frankl identified three primary pathways to discovering meaning—three ways to shine your light through your unique window 30:
- By Creating a Work or Doing a Deed: This is the most direct form of contribution. It can be a grand, world-changing project, but it is just as often found in the small, everyday acts of our jobs. The key is to shift your focus from the task itself to its impact on another human being.33 A bookkeeper can find meaning not in balancing ledgers, but in the relationships she builds and the stability she provides for her colleagues.34 A janitor can see his work not as mopping floors, but as creating a clean and safe environment for others to thrive. By asking, “How does this task, no matter how mundane, make a difference to someone?” we can find purpose anywhere.33
- By Experiencing Something or Encountering Someone: Meaning is also found in what we receive from the world—in moments of love, beauty, and connection. This can be the profound experience of loving another person, being moved by a piece of art or music, or feeling a sense of awe in nature.31 These experiences fill our “well” and give us the energy and inspiration to shine our light back out.
- By the Attitude We Take Toward Unavoidable Suffering: This is Frankl’s most profound insight, forged in the crucible of the camps. There will be times in life when we cannot change our circumstances—the “tragic triad” of guilt, suffering, and death.36 In these moments, Frankl argued, we are still left with the last of the human freedoms: the freedom to choose our attitude.30 Finding meaning in suffering, by facing it with courage, dignity, or compassion for others, is the ultimate expression of our purpose.
This act of shining our light also satisfies the other two core needs of Self-Determination Theory: Autonomy and Competence.21
Autonomy is our need to feel that we are the authors of our own lives, that we have a choice in how we act.23
The Stained-Glass Self framework empowers this by framing purpose as a creative choice, not a predetermined destiny.
Competence is our need to feel effective and master skills.23
As we contribute, we naturally want to get better at it.
We adopt a “craftsman mindset,” honing our skills to make our contribution more impactful, whether that’s becoming a better parent, a more skilled artist, or a more compassionate leader.37
Purpose is not a static object you find.
It is the light of your unique life, actively and intentionally shining out into the world.
Pillar 4: The Radiant Image: The Emergence of Your Ikigai
What happens when you follow this process? When you courageously gather all your authentic materials, your joys and your scars (Pillar 1); when you bind them together with the strong leading of community and connection (Pillar 2); and when you actively shine the light of contribution and meaning through them (Pillar 3)?
A coherent, beautiful, and radiant image emerges.
A unique pattern of light and color is projected into the world.
This emergent image is your Ikigai.
This is the most critical insight of the Stained-Glass Self framework: it reveals the causal inversion at the heart of our struggle with purpose.
We have been trying to use the Ikigai diagram as a starting map, getting lost and frustrated when our lives don’t fit its coordinates.
But the diagram is not a map to the treasure; it is a description of the treasure once you’ve created it.
Look at the four circles again through the lens of our framework:
- “What you love” and “What you’re good at” (and what has wounded you) are The Shards of Glass.
- “What the world needs” is the context provided by The Leading of community, which helps you focus The Light Source of your contribution.
- “What you can be paid for” is simply one possible and often welcome consequence of shining your light so effectively that the world values it.
Your purpose, your Ikigai, is not something you find by filling in the circles.
It is the beautiful image that emerges when you live as a Stained-Glass Self.
And these images are as wonderfully diverse as humanity itself.
This gallery of life purpose examples is not a menu to choose from, but a celebration of the infinite possibilities:
- The Unconventional Path: For some, the image is one of freedom and exploration. They are the digital nomads, the minimalists who own next to nothing, the early retirees, or those who choose to live child-free.38 Their purpose is to live a life unbound by convention, creating a new model of what is possible.40
- The Creative Life: For others, the image is one of artistic expression. It’s the woman who found her way out of self-doubt through the gutsy world of roller derby.41 It’s the writer who finds meaning in running, the actress who finds sanity in crafting, or the teenager who overcomes depression through her love of books.41 Their purpose is to create, to express, and to bring beauty and joy into the world.
- The Life of Service: Many find their image is defined by compassion. They are the activists promoting inclusion, the environmentalists protecting the planet, the healers tending to trauma, and the teachers inspiring the next generation.43 Their purpose is to lessen the suffering of others and make the world better.45
- The Relational Life: As we’ve seen, for many the image is one of deep connection. It’s the person whose life was given direction by caring for an elderly neighbor, or the parent who finds their entire world reframed by the love for their children.28 Their purpose is found in the sacred bonds of love and care.
- The Everyday Life: And for so many, the purpose is not a grand, public spectacle, but a quiet, steady glow. It’s the hotel controller who discovers his purpose is to serve his managers by teaching them financial literacy, transforming their fear into confidence.47 It is the person who finds meaning simply by being the person they needed when they were a child.40
The Ikigai diagram, once a source of anxiety, can now be reclaimed as a tool for appreciation.
Once you are living this way, you can look at the diagram and see, with gratitude, how the different aspects of your life are coming into a beautiful, meaningful alignment.
It becomes a tool for reflection, not prescription.
Part IV: Conclusion: Living as a Window to the Light
My journey began in a state of quiet fraudulence, feeling like a broken machine that I couldn’t fix.
I was chasing a single, perfect answer, a flawless blueprint for a meaningful life, and the chase was breaking me.
The world had sold me a definition of purpose that was rigid, narrow, and unforgiving.
The epiphany in that quiet cathedral changed everything.
The metaphor of the Stained-Glass Self gave me a new language—a language of compassion, creativity, and wholeness.
I began to see that my life was not a problem to be solved, but a work of art to be created.
My struggles, my failures, my eclectic passions, and my deepest wounds were not defects; they were my most precious, colorful materials.
I stopped trying to find my purpose.
Instead, I began the slow, intentional, and deeply rewarding work of building it.
I gathered my shards.
I fortified my connections with the people who form the leading in my life.
And I committed to shining my light, however imperfectly, through the unique window of my being.
And in a beautiful, recursive way, my purpose has become this: sharing the very framework that set me free.
The act of writing this article, of crafting this story in the hope that it might help someone else feel less broken and more whole, is the light shining through my window today.
It is my work, my deed.
I invite you to step out of the Purpose Trap.
Stop the frantic search for a pre-made, perfect answer that lies somewhere “out there.” The pressure to find your one true calling is a myth that can lead to anxiety and despair.
Instead, I invite you to begin the courageous and creative work of an artist.
Gather your beautiful, broken pieces of glass—all of them.
Solder them together with the love of your community.
And then, turn your face to the light.
Let your unique, irreplaceable, and magnificent story shine through, illuminating the world in a way that only you can.
The point was never to be perfect.
It was always to be whole.
Works cited
- 7 Strange Questions That Help You Find Your Life Purpose – Mark Manson, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://markmanson.net/life-purpose
- Struggling to Find Your Purpose? Do This Instead. | Jordan Harbinger, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.jordanharbinger.com/struggling-to-find-your-purpose-do-this-instead/
- Struggling to find meaning, motivation, and purpose. : r/simpleliving – Reddit, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/simpleliving/comments/ocf8xi/struggling_to_find_meaning_motivation_and_purpose/
- Trying to Find Our Life’s Purpose is Stressing Us Out | Center for Practical Wisdom, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://wisdomcenter.uchicago.edu/news/wisdom-news/trying-find-our-lifes-purpose-stressing-us-out
- Lack of purpose – EmotionMatters, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://emotionmatters.co.uk/lack-of-purpose/
- An Exploration of the Idea That Life Has No Purpose – Bodhi Heart, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://bodhiheart.com/life-purpose/life-has-no-purpose/
- www.tudublin.ie, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.tudublin.ie/for-staff/workplace-wellbeing/thrive-framework/values-and-meaning/ikigai-framework-/#:~:text=The%20Ikigai%20framework%20is%20a,you%20can%20be%20compensated%20for.
- Ikigai: what it is and how to use ikigai to find your purpose — Calm Blog, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.calm.com/blog/ikigai
- The Philosophy of Ikigai: 3 Examples About Finding Purpose, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://positivepsychology.com/ikigai/
- I Have No Purpose — Finding Meaning in Life – BetterUp, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.betterup.com/blog/i-have-no-purpose
- Three Obstacles to Finding Your Purpose – JANE RUBIN, PHD Clinical Psychologist, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.janerubinphd.com/blog/three-obstacles-to-finding-your-purpose
- I have no purpose in life, no goals, no reason to want to do anything. : r/DecidingToBeBetter, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/DecidingToBeBetter/comments/8f3nt6/i_have_no_purpose_in_life_no_goals_no_reason_to/
- Metaphors About Life: Popular Metaphor Examples – Verywell Mind, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.verywellmind.com/metaphors-for-life-2330716
- Stained Glass Windows Line : r/TaylorSwift – Reddit, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/TaylorSwift/comments/ysafrn/stained_glass_windows_line/
- Stained Glass: A Window of Faith – Mt. Haley Church of God, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.mthaley.org/2016/05/stained-glass-a-window-of-faith/
- A Stained Glass Window Deepened His Connection With God – Guideposts, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://guideposts.org/angels-and-miracles/angels/a-stained-glass-window-deepened-his-connection-with-god/
- Seven Ways to Find Your Purpose in Life – Greater Good Science Center, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/seven_ways_to_find_your_purpose_in_life
- Finding purpose through adversity – Access to Inspiration, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://accesstoinspiration.org/2024/08/28/finding-purpose-through-adversity/
- How to Turn Adversity into Strength: Real-Life Success Stories. – Aaron Golub, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.aarongolub.com/post/how-to-turn-adversity-into-strength-real-life-success-stories
- Self-Determination Theory: How It Explains Motivation – Verywell Mind, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-self-determination-theory-2795387
- Self-determination theory – Wikipedia, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-determination_theory
- Self Determination Theory and How It Explains Motivation – Positive Psychology, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://positivepsychology.com/self-determination-theory/
- Self-Determination Theory of Motivation – Center for Community Health & Prevention, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/community-health/patient-care/self-determination-theory
- Community engagement – Sense of purpose – The Longevity Lab, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://thelongevitylab.com.au/community-engagement-sense-of-purpose/
- How To Find Your Purpose Through Community – LifeHack, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.lifehack.org/358708/how-find-your-purpose-through-community
- The Importance of Community in Finding Your Purpose | Said Hasyim, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.saidhasyim.com/post/peak-lifes-work/the-importance-of-community-in-finding-your-purpose/
- Meaning and Connection: Finding Purpose Together – Centers for Opportunity, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://centersforopportunity.org/meaning-and-connection-finding-purpose-together/
- Stories & Lessons for Finding Your Purpose – Bold Journey Magazine, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://boldjourney.com/stories-lessons-for-finding-your-purpose-30/
- Find Purpose Through Your Relationships – Brendon Burchard, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://brendon.com/blog/find-purpose-through-relationships/
- Logotherapy – Wikipedia, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logotherapy
- About Logotherapy – viktorfranklinstitute.org, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.viktorfranklinstitute.org/about-logotherapy/
- Logotherapy | EBSCO Research Starters, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/social-sciences-and-humanities/logotherapy
- Everyday Purpose: How to Find Meaning in the Mundane – Thrive Global, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://community.thriveglobal.com/everyday-purpose-how-to-find-meaning-in-the-mundane/
- wellbeing.uiowa.edu, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://wellbeing.uiowa.edu/news/2024/10/finding-meaning-work
- Finding Meaning in the Mundane: How to Discover Purpose Even in a Boring Job, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://coryabarnes.medium.com/finding-meaning-in-the-mundane-how-to-discover-purpose-even-in-a-boring-job-e31166ce2342
- What is Logotherapy? | Healing through Meaning | The Viktor E. Frankl Institute of America, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://viktorfranklamerica.com/what-is-logotherapy/
- Frustrated trying to figure out your “life purpose”? Try this one. | by Jenny Blake | Medium, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://medium.com/@jenny_blake/frustrated-trying-to-figure-out-your-life-purpose-try-this-one-a54f6bdbd434
- Why You Should Be Living Your Own Unconventional Life – The Zag, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.thezag.com/unconventional-life/
- What Does It Mean To Live an Unconventional Lifestyle? – Niels Bohrmann, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://nielsbohrmann.com/unconventional-lifestyle/
- Choose a Life Purpose (Any Purpose Will Do) – the art of non-conformity, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://chrisguillebeau.com/choose-a-life-purpose
- Memoirs About the Transformative Power of Hobbies | The New York Public Library, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.nypl.org/blog/2023/01/04/memoir-hobbies-transformative
- How My Hobby Changed My Life | Hailey Clarke | TEDxKids@BC – YouTube, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7vOs-fI79A
- Stories & Lessons for Finding Your Purpose – Bold Journey Magazine, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://boldjourney.com/stories-lessons-for-finding-your-purpose-33/
- 10 Examples of Life Purpose That Will Help You Find Yours – Gaia, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://www.gaia.com/article/10-examples-of-life-purpose
- How to Find Your Life Purpose: An Unconventional Approach – Zen Habits Website, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://zenhabits.net/life-purpose/
- Finding Her Purpose – Guideposts, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://guideposts.org/positive-living/health-and-wellness/life-advice/finding-life-purpose/finding-her-purpose/
- Purpose – A Story About Finding It – Not Knowing What It Was – But Following It Anyway, accessed on August 11, 2025, https://hotelfinancialcoach.com/purpose-a-story-about-finding-it-not-knowing-what-it-was-but-following-it-anyway/
