If you’ve ever asked yourself “What is my Purpose?”, you’re not alone. In this New York Times study, they found that just 1 in 4 Americans say they have a clear sense of purpose. Do you find yourself falling into the other 75% of people? If so, here are four tips that can help you discover your sense of purpose in life.

Explore What Interests You

Finding your passion in life starts with figuring out what interests you. What topics do you love to talk about with friends? What kinds of TikTok videos show up on your For You Page? Do you love reading Science Fiction books? Take the things that peak your interest in your daily life and try to expand on that. The things you like to talk about and the things you enjoy sharing on social media may reveal the things that give you purpose in life. Also, pay attention to what you don’t like!

Start Conversations with New People

It’s easy to scroll on your phone while riding the bus or waiting to meet your friend for dinner. Instead, try to talk to the people around you. Talking to people outside of your immediate inner circle can open you up to a whole new world that you didn’t even know existed. You could learn about new hobbies or different career opportunities that you had never even heard of prior. Even though it can be uncomfortable at first, talking to new people can help give you new inspiration for your own life.

Give Back

When you help others, you also are helping yourself. Giving back, or prosociality as it’s known in psychology, can enhance your sense of meaning and purpose in life. Volunteer your skills for a cause that resonates with you. For example if you love to cook, try volunteering for a local shelter that feeds the homeless.

Practice Gratitude

Cultivating gratitude can make you more generous and lead to acts of kindness (like giving back), which contributes to finding a sense of purpose. Practicing gratitude has many bot short and long-term benefits. For example, evidence has found that people who consciously count their blessings tend to be happier and less depressed. This is because gratitude changes our brains by increasing activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, the area associated with learning and decision making. 

Life Balance Therapy

If you think you need a little extra help discovering what makes you get out of bed in the morning and what gives you that passion, Life Balance Therapy can help. We specialize in life coaching, self esteem, career counseling, anxiety, depression, and more. We believe in focusing on one’s strengths and capabilities and assisting a person by building on those factors. To learn more about what we offer, click HERE. The simple act of deciding to begin counseling means you are already making progress. From there, we will take that momentum and help you to get where you want to be.