Discover Meaning & Purpose | 5 Proven Steps to Living a Fulfilled Life

Welcome back to The Best Life Mindset, where we explore the habits, mindset shifts, and intentional choices that create a life you genuinely feel connected to. Today we’re diving into something every human craves but few ever actively pursue: meaning and purpose.

Purpose isn’t a luxury. It’s foundational to emotional health, resilience, and even longevity. Research shows that people who live with purpose tend to be happier, more grounded, and often live longer. When you understand why you’re here and what matters to you, everything else in life becomes clearer.

Why Meaning and Purpose Matter

Meaning and purpose are not abstract concepts—they're deeply tied to physical and emotional wellbeing. A study published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine found that people with a strong sense of purpose have a 23 percent lower risk of death and are more proactive about their health. Another study in the Journal of Positive Psychology found a direct link between life satisfaction and having meaning.

Purpose becomes an anchor. Meaning becomes your compass.

Understanding the Difference

Purpose and meaning work together, but they aren’t identical.

Purpose is the direction—your “why.” Meaning is how you interpret your experiences—the significance behind what happens in your life.

Think of your life like a road trip: purpose is the destination, while meaning is everything you learn, absorb, and grow from along the way.

Step 1: Explore Your Passions and Strengths

Most people find their purpose by paying attention to what pulls them—not what they think they “should” do. Start by noticing what energizes you or makes you lose track of time.

A friend of mine found her purpose through her love for animals. She eventually went from a corporate job to working full-time in a nonprofit animal rescue. When your work aligns with what lights you up, fulfillment rises and stress naturally decreases.

Your passions are clues. Your strengths are the tools. Together, they point toward purpose.

Step 2: Identify Your Core Values

Core values are your internal operating system. They determine what feels right, what feels wrong, and what feels meaningful. When your life is aligned with your values, you feel grounded. When you’re not, you feel disconnected.

During my cancer journey, I realized one of my deepest values was helping others. That clarity led me to write books and create resources to support people who wanted to live more intentionally.

Research consistently shows that living in alignment with your values increases overall life satisfaction and reduces stress.

Step 3: Serve Others and Contribute to Something Larger

Purpose often becomes clearest when you shift your focus from “me” to “we.” Humans are wired for contribution.

Think of the teacher who stays late mentoring students because it lights her up. Or the person who volunteers at a shelter because they believe in the impact. Acts of service—big or small—boost happiness, connection, and meaning.

Contribution doesn’t need to be grand. It just needs to be sincere.

Step 4: Embrace Struggles and Challenges

Meaning is often shaped in the hardest seasons—not the easiest ones.

Viktor Frankl wrote that purpose can come from how we respond to suffering. Many people turn their own pain into fuel for advocacy, community, or healing. Surviving cancer led me to deeply re-evaluate my life, and that clarity shifted everything about how I live now.

Struggles often become the gateway to purpose—if you let them.

Step 5: Connect Deeply With Others

Purpose grows in community. Strong relationships help us feel anchored and supported, and they often reflect back truths we can’t see in ourselves.

Whether it's opening up to someone you trust, joining communities with shared values, or simply nurturing closer relationships, connection strengthens your sense of meaning.

We’re not meant to do life alone. Purpose becomes richer when shared.

Final Thoughts

Finding meaning and purpose isn’t an overnight revelation—it’s an ongoing process of self-awareness, curiosity, and courage. It’s exploring what lights you up, honouring your values, helping others, learning from hardship, and building relationships that matter.

Start small. Journal about something that energizes you. Reflect on what last taught you something. Serve someone. Pay attention to what feels aligned.

Thank you for joining me on The Best Life Mindset. If this post helped you, feel free to subscribe or share it with someone who’s searching for deeper purpose. Your life holds enormous potential for meaning—keep discovering it, one day at a time.

Blog Post Four by Shelly Hansen