Your Purpose Might Be Hiding in Your Struggles

I used to think passion had to be this big ah ha moment kind of thing.

Like some lightning bolt that knocks you on your ass and screams “THIS IS YOUR THING!”

But mine? Nope. Mine’s a lot quieter.

Mine looks like waking up and scribbling down thoughts at 5am because my brain won’t shut the fuck up.
It looks like obsessing over why I keep tripping over the same shit in life, and trying – again – to do something about it.

A few days ago I was listening to Jay Shetty talk about passion and purpose. He said:

“Passion is what brings you joy. Purpose is when you use that passion in service of others.”

I’m not gonna lie…it wasn’t some huge lightbulb moment for me. But, it was definitely a, “Yeah. That checks out.” kind of moment.

Because finally, for once in my life, I think I’m already doing it.

After too many years of starting and quitting, spinning out, burning down everything and trying something new, the thing I’m doing now—my blog, my books, the website, all of it—finally feels right.

Not perfect. Definitely not pretty. And definitely not some polished, 10-steps-to-success bullshit.
Just real talk from the part of me that feels the most real.
And honestly? That’s been enough this time.

Because I finally realized – my passion? Figuring out my own chaos.

It’s not sexy and it’s probably not something you put in your LinkedIn headline.
But it’s mine. And after a lifetime of masking, that’s been a great feeling.

I’ve spent most of my life trying to understand why I keep screwing up the same way.
Why I blow up.
Or why I shut down.
Why I have 50 million ideas a day but never seem to follow through on any of them.
Or even why I chase structure…and then feel trapped in it at the same time.

And why my life has so often felt like I’m a walking contradiction. To anyone who knows me and, most importantly, to myself.

I’ve lived in this shitty loop long enough to know:
This isn’t just some hobby. It’s fucking survival.

And when I finally crack a code—when I figure out what the fucks been holding me back?
The feeling I get during those moments? That’s joy man. My spark. That’s my passion.

But my purpose? That came after.

It shows up when I talk to someone and I can tell that something I said actually helped.

Maybe they start beating themselves up a little less.
Or maybe they realize they’re not as crazy as they’ve always felt.
And most importantly, maybe they finally realize that they’re not alone in the way their brain works.

It’s those moments that I get to walk away thinking, Damn. That felt good. Really fucking good.

I’ve told my wife this a million times: there’s absolutely no high like realizing your pain helped someone else navigate their own pain.

The moment where your hot mess becomes medicine for someone who needed it?

That’s purpose.
And that’s finding your purpose through your story.

And yeah—your story matters.

I’ve believed this for a long time:
One of the greatest gifts you can give the world is telling your story.

Because someone out there has lived something damn near identical to what you’ve been through.
They just don’t know it yet.
Usually, they feel like they’re the only one going through that particular brand of shitstorm.
And your story might be the thing that keeps them from going under.

Finding your purpose through your story doesn’t mean you have it all figured out.
It just means you’re willing to be honest.
To show your scars and to say, “Here’s what hurt, and here’s what helped.”

And that’s enough.

If you want to dig deeper into the science behind why telling your story is so powerful, this article from Greater Good Magazine is worth a read.

So…what do you do with all that?

Well, you definitely don’t have to quit your job.
You don’t need a five-year plan either.
And you sure as hell don’t need to “build a brand.”

You just need to notice what lights you up—
And see if maybe it lights someone else up too.

So, if you’ve been on a slow, messy road back to yourself…
Or if you’re figuring your shit out in real time…
And if you have more questions than answers…

You’re probably closer to your purpose than you think.

Because finding your purpose through your story doesn’t look like a TED Talk.
It looks like you, doing the work, and turning around to help someone else through it.

If this hit home…

Check out The Dopamine Drop—my no-fluff newsletter for wandering minds.
3 quick nudges. No guru BS. Just momentum.

And if you’re stumbling your way toward something that finally feels right?
Same here.
Let’s keep going.