The need for purpose is a defining characteristic of being human. We crave it. It’s a fundamental component of a fulfilling life. There can be serious emotional distress when a sense of purpose is not felt.

“Only around 25% of Americans adults cite having a clear sense of purpose about what makes their lives meaningful, according to one analysis of the subject in The New York Times.”1 Considering how important this is for mental health, that number is shockingly low. So, how can we embed more purpose in our lives? What is the purpose of life? 

Purpose is defined as “the reason for which something exists.” Purpose is the driving force that inspires us to get out of bed each day. With that in mind, discovering your purpose is of utmost importance. Because if you don’t, what will inspire you to continue in life? We need to ask ourselves, what is my why? What is my purpose in life?

To understand what purpose truly means, I spoke to a couple of our teachers here at Ecoversity. Permaculture Expert Stephen Brooks had a few thoughts to share about his understanding of the term:

“So when I think about purpose, I think about doing good. How can we do good? For ourselves, for our friends and our communities, and on the macro - how can we do good for the planet? And how can we incorporate this good into the work that we do in the world?”

He goes on to explain that purpose is directly connected to living in alignment with the Earth. And for him, this connection helps him know that he’s on the right path.

“If you live in alignment with the Earth, no matter what you do, you’re always being conscious of the question ‘How can I do whatever I’m doing and walk lighter?’ and ‘How can I support, regenerate, not just sustain?’ Sustainability isn’t enough anymore- we need to regenerate, we need to make things better. I definitely feel mostly connected to the Earth, I am in such wonder about the magic of the natural world- how incredibly beautiful and intricate, and how reliant all aspects are on each other," Brooks explained.

Being closely connected to the Earth can certainly help to strengthen your connection with purpose. It is our source of life and sustenance, and to build a relationship with the earth can add an immense amount of purpose into our lives. I spoke with higher-self strategist Andrea Belen to find out more about how to find your passion, and she shared her thoughts about how nature plays a role in her personal growth:

“When I think of nature, I think about everything. Everything is nature, we are part of nature. Our body, our heart, our mind, our whole being is a pattern that represents mother nature, our planet Earth. A big part of my journey is being connected to the elements. So every time I drink water, every time that I shower, I connect with the element of water and I pray. I listen to its message, to what it wants to tell us, to the lessons it teaches about leaning into the flow and being gentle. We all can connect with nature in our daily life just by connecting with our body," Brooks continued. 

But in order to define purpose, we must go so much deeper than connecting with the Earth. We must also look deeply inside ourselves. And yes, that can sometimes be hard and scary. But it doesn’t need to be, and you don’t have to do it alone! Andrea explains her relationship with fear, and how she’s learned to work with it:

“Fear to me is a feeling that we need to embrace completely. Fear is an alert from our soul, from our heart, that something is there in the inner or outer world that we need to pay attention to,” Andrea said.

She goes on to explain how we can use fear as a tool for finding purpose:

She continued, “So let me ask you something- how many times do you recognize how courageous you are because of a fear you were able to overcome? This means that fears are trampolines, they are platforms for us to jump into the unknown, to jump into uncertainty. And to feel safe in the unknown is the highest expression of confidence, of trust, of life, of yourself."