I've always considered my purpose in life to be to help people. At least, that's what I'd always liked for it to be. A secondary (or maybe not so secondary) purpose is to be happy. I started focusing on that one once I realized you can't help anyone if you can't help yourself. And there's been times when helping myself was literally the only thing I could've done because I was so far down the depression hole. My point is, is that I've always wanted to help people and have always wanted to consider that a purpose in my life.
"Helping people" is super vague.
I've volunteered, donated things, always tried to listen to whoever needed a listening ear. But as I've gotten older, I'm finding myself wanting to narrow down my "helping people". Do something that I truly feel makes a difference. Maybe I don't want to "help people" maybe I want to encourage, uplift, empower. Make people feel good. Feel happy. Because what's really important in this one life? Happiness.
I'm passionate about a lot of things. Art, dogs, yarn, health and nutrition, happiness and helping others to feel happy. I honed in on one passion in particular. I don't know why or how I even got this deep into the yarn scene, but I love everything fiber so much. It was an organic growth, truly. When I discovered that there was more yarn that just Red Heart, I wanted to know everything. Why do different fibers behave the way they do? Why do different plying methods create different yarn? What's up with twist? Why are there even different drafting methods? I became obsessed with yarn. Ask my husband.
I don't have an official mission statement, but if I did, it might go something like this, "Encourage anyone willing to learn a new skill that will bring them joy and fulfillment."
I know I sell things and try to make a profit. This is my job. But I teach free classes frequently and have many free patterns. I'm working everyday to bring more to the table in terms of what I have to offer (free or otherwise). My end goal is creating a space for learning and good vibes but also something so much more than that. I'm teaching skills and creating things that make people just a little more happier than before.
Putting passion behind my purpose really cleared the air and made me see what I wanted to do with my life. It seems so obvious now. Maybe you don't know what you're passion or purpose is. These things have a way of not being very clear. It takes some digging within yourself and looking at yourself and habits from an outside perspective. Someone else may tell you what you're passionate about and you may think, "oh, maybe that IS my purpose, I never thought of it like that." If you don't know what your purpose is, don't sweat it. Keep that bug in your ear and it just might come to when you least expect it. Tomorrow, or next month.