Stop Forcing Your Purpose. Start Following What Fascinates You.

Let’s talk about purpose for a minute.

Because if you’ve listened to me at all, you know that oftentimes when I speak about purpose, I zoom way out. I’m looking at it from that bigger perspective — the soul perspective. The idea that we’re these eternal beings having a very temporary experience here.

But today I want to talk about the here side of things.

The practical side.

Because I remember a time in my life when the word purpose felt heavy.

People would say things like, “Just follow your passion.” And I remember thinking… that sounds great, but what if you don’t know what that is yet?

That pressure alone made it feel like I was already behind.

And when I was carrying that kind of pressure, it was actually very hard to feel passionate about anything.

So over time, I started approaching the whole idea of purpose a little differently.

When Passion Feels Like Pressure

For a lot of people, the word passion creates tension instead of clarity.

You hear it and immediately feel like you’re supposed to have an answer.

What is your passion?
What is your purpose?
What are you meant to do with your life?

That’s a lot of weight to carry!

And when we feel that kind of weight, something interesting happens.

Instead of becoming curious or energized, our energy starts collapsing inward.

We start overthinking.
Analyzing. Dissecting.
Trying to “figure it out.”

And suddenly purpose becomes something we’re trying to solve, instead of something we’re discovering.

So if the words passion or purpose make you feel pressure right now, my suggestion is to just take them out of your vocabulary for a little while.

Alternative questions: What fascinates you? What intrigues you?

Instead of asking yourself what you’re passionate about, ask something much lighter:

What interests you? What intrigues you? What fascinates you?

Not what should fascinate you.

Not what would look impressive to other people.

Just the things that naturally grab your attention.

Maybe it’s something you read about and suddenly want to know more.

Maybe it’s a topic you keep coming back to.

Maybe it’s a skill or idea that makes you think, “That’s interesting.”

Here’s a simple exercise.

Take a piece of paper and start writing those things down.

All of them.

The big ones.
The small ones.
The random ones.

Anything that sparks even a little curiosity.

You might be surprised how quickly that list grows once you stop trying to filter it.

Don’t Just Think About It. Get Involved.

Once you’ve made that list, look at it again and ask yourself one question:

Which one stands out the most right now?

Not forever.

Not for the rest of your life.

Just right now.

Then take one small step toward it.

Get involved in it somehow.

If the thing you’re interested in feels huge, break it down and ask yourself:

What is one tiny step I can take that moves me closer to it?

Maybe you take a class.

Maybe you read more about it.

Maybe you talk to someone who’s already doing it.

The point is movement.

Because when you move toward something — even in a small way — you start receiving feedback.

You learn things about yourself.

You might realize, “Actually, this isn’t as interesting as I thought.”

Or you might discover the opposite:

“Wow… I want to go deeper into this.”

Either way, clarity starts to show up.

The Pieces Start Connecting

One of the things I’ve seen over and over again is that purpose rarely shows up as one single obvious path.

Instead, it tends to emerge through these experiences.

You start exploring things that interest you.

You follow a few curiosities.

You try something new.

And slowly, pieces that didn’t seem connected at all begin to come together.

Those interests, those experiments, those experiences start creating a fuller understanding of who you are and how you’re meant to contribute.

Because purpose usually isn’t just one thing.

It’s an expression of who you are being and how that naturally shows up in the world.