What Makes You Come Alive? Finding Purpose Beyond the Noise

“Why am I here?” “What am I meant to do with my life?” These aren’t easy questions. I have grappled with them through much of my adult life. I don’t want God looking down from heaven on me and saying “Lou! You are in the wrong line. I have told you a thousand times to go to line 5 and you keep going on line 7! Trust me, it’s not disobedience. The answer to “what is my purpose” doesn’t usually arrive bundled up in a neat package or with clearly visible arrows to point you in the right direction.

There are so many distractions, and external expectations, and always the constant comparison, to others who seemingly always know which line to choose. We have been conditioned to work hard and keep moving forward. That type of conditioning makes it easy to lose sight of what truly lights us up. But here’s the truth: your purpose is rarely something you have to find — it's something you uncover by listening within. When I think about this my mind always remembers Dorothy from the movie “The Wizard of Oz.” What Dorothy was so desperately seeking was with her all along.

Purpose can start with a faint whisper or a feeling that something isn’t quite right, or a recurring tug toward a certain cause, activity, or vision. Maybe it's the way your heart beats faster when you mentor someone. Or how time seems to disappear when you’re creating, teaching, or building something from scratch. These are not coincidences. They are clues. Clues to what brings you alive and what the world needs from you.

Discovering your purpose doesn’t happen overnight. It requires stillness, courage, and curiosity. It asks you to explore your gifts, confront your fears, and trust your journey, even when it doesn’t make sense to others. When I was in undergrad, my big sister and cherished mentor Bertha was an accomplished elementary teacher. She was also a young wife and mom. When I couldn’t figure out my major at the University of South Carolina, she did a hard sell on me to become a teacher. She told me that one day I would marry and have kids. The stability, pay and benefits were good; however, what Bert valued most was having her summers off so she could spend more time with her son and not have to worry about childcare. I always admired Bert; however, I knew being a teacher was not for me. I thrive with adults but being responsible, full-time, for kids was not something that aligned with who I knew myself to be.

I have always liked laying out rules and procedures and not having to sugarcoat what the potential consequences may be when they aren’t followed. Adult professionals can handle that. Kids require a bit more handholding and tact.

When you follow what makes you come alive, you begin to live more fully, more authentically, and more aligned with who you were always meant to be.

The noise of the world often tells us we have to “hustle,” “grind,” or prove our worth through productivity. But true purpose isn’t about busyness — it’s about intentionality. It’s not always glamorous or Instagram-worthy either. Sometimes it’s quiet, humble, and behind-the-scenes. Purpose shows up when you’re doing work that aligns with your soul, whether that’s raising children, launching a business, healing others, or simply showing up with love and consistency in your corner of the world.

If you feel lost or unsure, know this: it’s okay to not have it all figured out. Many people walk around wearing titles and checking boxes, but deep down feel unfulfilled. You have permission to slow down and explore what makes you come alive, not what impresses others or fits a mold. Let your life be guided by meaning, not metrics.

So, take the first step. Journal about what excites you, what breaks your heart, and what energizes you. Say “yes” to the small things that feel aligned. Talk to people who inspire you. Try new things. And trust that every step — even the messy, uncertain ones — are part of the journey toward a life that feels rooted in purpose and passion.

Lou