-Written by Danica Hungerford, M.A., LPC

Many people come to counseling when they are feeling lost, aimless, or like life isn’t how they thought it would be. They go through the motions of life with each day feeling just as pointless as the one before it. The feeling of being stuck or trapped can be overwhelming.

These feelings can happen in any stage of life, whether you are brand new in your career, taking on a new role as a parent, entering retirement, or any other season in life. Each stage brings its unique challenges, but the same desire for life to be meaningful and have a purpose.

Finding purpose can be one of those existential or theoretical questions where we want there to be a clear-cut answer. This is the meaning of life! Or we answer the question with humor like the arbitrary number 42 in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Adams, 1979). Whatever your own approach may be, there are a few practical steps a person can take to experience more sense of purpose in their day to day life. Here are three factors to consider when seeking to live a life with more purpose — your skills, your passions, and your values.

What are your skills?

These are tasks and behaviors that you are good at. You can have skills naturally or develop skills over time with dedication and practice. Your skills might be something that you enjoy doing or turn to first when trying to solve a problem.

What are your passions?

Your passions are the ideas or causes that pull on your heartstrings. What are the things that stand out to you when you notice that a situation is not quite right? Where do you see brokenness in the world and a yearning to step in?

What are your core values?

Identifying your values will help you to make choices that are more satisfying and will be more life-giving to you. If you are unsure of what you value, take a look at this list of values (link to https://brenebrown.com/resources/dare-to-lead-list-of-values/). This is not comprehensive and you might resonate with one that is not on the list. Read through the list and take note of which ones are important to you. Then narrow it down to ten. Then read through those ten and pick your top five. These are likely the values that are most important to you.

Purpose is found where skills, passions, and values intersect. When people live in a way that aligns with their skills, passions, and values, they will feel more fulfilled and move through life in a meaningful way.

When considering how you spend your time, what job you pursue, volunteer opportunities, or even what relationships to invest in, these three factors can guide you into a sweet spot that honors who you are and how you will best thrive. It is possible to live life in meaningful ways with a strong sense of purpose.

Danica Hungerford, M.A., LPC has a master’s degree in clinical counseling and specializes in working with those from young adulthood to seniors. If you or someone you love is interested in seeking out help here in the South Denver Area, consider booking an appointment with Danica by calling 720.489.8555 or by contacting our general admin.

Danica Hungerford, M.A., LPC has a master’s degree in clinical counseling and specializes in working with those from young adulthood to seniors. If you or someone you love is interested in seeking out help here in the South Denver Area, consider booking an appointment with Danica by calling 720.489.8555 or by contacting our general admin.