Find Your Life Purpose Through Service

10 Ways to Discover Your Life Purpose in Volunteer Work

By Angela Perkey

Sometimes when we are lost in the day-to-day activities of life and work, we forget there is a part of us that wants to serve and make a difference in the world. The turbulent economy is a good time to reassess your life purpose and path. It is also a good time to look for ways to express yourself through service to others. Some people who are out of work are turning toward volunteer work for new skills, friends, and a way to do something worthwhile. Many are also finding a renewed purpose in life. Here are 10 ways that you can discover and live out your unique life purpose.

Angela Perkey is the founder of Students Serve, a national nonprofit that awards service grants to college students. Visit her website at www.changetheworldchangeyourlife.com.

Ask Yourself the Big Questions About Life

Most people want to live a life full of meaning that accomplishes a specific purpose. We want to see that our actions can make a difference that improves the world and helps other people. This helps validate our presence on Earth.

However, knowing just what that purpose is can be a true challenge. This is directly intertwined with those classic, unrelenting questions: What should I do with my life? What am I here for? What should I be when I (finally) grow up? Although the questions are complex, finding the answers may be surprisingly simple. If you recognize you have a true desire to serve, volunteer work in the community and a spirit of giving can lead you to an understanding of what you care about, what your natural talents are, and what your life purpose is. It can start you on the path to a new life.

Find What You're Passionate About

One of the most important components of understanding how to live a purposeful life is uncovering the issues, people, and needs that you’re passionate about. What do you care about? What really matters to you? Oftentimes these things are intimately connected with a personal experience that you have had.

For example, if your mother died prematurely of lung cancer, you might be passionate about finding a cure to this disease or helping women who are in the hospital undergoing treatments. If there were days when your parents were unsure about how they were going to buy food, you might be particularly moved by the plight of children in danger of going hungry. The key is to identify the one or two needs you care about most. Then, begin volunteering to help solve that problem.

Discover Your Natural Gifts

You have been uniquely blessed with a set of talents and natural gifts. Some of us are skilled with the ability to use our minds to solve complex business problems; others are gifted with the ability to use their hands and bodies to make essential products; others have exceptional artistic skills. You are individually equipped with all the skills you need to make a meaningful difference.

To live your purpose as fully as possible, use your natural gifts when you serve others. If you are a naturally-born teacher, you could tutor low-income students who are struggling with basic reading skills. If you are good at encouraging people, you could visit people who are sick or in nursing homes. If you love to make jewelry or wood-working crafts, donate your finished works to people who couldn’t otherwise afford them.

Define Your Life Goals and Ambitions

What do you want out of life? Understanding what motivates you is essential to enacting an intentional life path that has an impact on others. Define your goals and long-term ambitions, then weave these into your volunteer efforts. The more motivated you are, the more likely you will devote time and resources to serving others.

If your life goal is to open a bakery and you are passionate about environmental issues, you can make your signature chocolate truffle cupcakes and classic Southern pecan pies for a fundraiser that will generate money to solve global warming. Potential customers will be exposed to the scrumptious sweets that you create, and you will be contributing to a solution for climate change.

Live with a Spirit of Service and Purpose Every Day

Service is a spirit for living in addition to a set of actions. You live your life purpose every day. It’s not just when you are volunteering at church or the local food bank. It’s every time you interact with anyone. Through your actions, your words, and your smile, you have the capability to either uplift someone or put them down.

Meaningful, purposeful lives are built every moment, not just in isolated times spent volunteering. Whether it’s at work, in traffic, in the line at the grocery store, or at a concert, you have an opportunity to serve and change the world. Your efforts don’t have to be extraordinary, but your life certainly will be.