I used to wake up with no real reason to get out of bed.
Seriously. My days were a blur of video games, binge eating, and just… nothing. I felt stuck, drifting without a map or a destination. I knew I wanted more from life, but the thought of changing felt like trying to move a mountain with a spoon. It was overwhelming.
Maybe you know that feeling. That quiet ache of knowing you were made for more, but you have no idea how to get there. The good news is that finding your purpose isn’t some big, mystical event. It’s not a secret you have to unlock. It’s something you build, one small, intentional choice at a time.
For me, change started with tiny steps. And along the way, I found strength in the wisdom of others who walked this path before me. Their words became guideposts, reminding me I wasn’t alone.
Today, I want to share some of those guideposts with you. Here are 25 quotes that helped me trade a life of emptiness for a life of purpose.
On Taking the First Step
You can’t steer a parked car. The biggest hurdle is often just getting started. We wait for the perfect moment or a grand wave of motivation, but purpose is built in the small, often messy, act of beginning.
- “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu
- “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain
- “Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command.” – George Herbert
- “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb
- “Action is the foundational key to all success.” – Pablo Picasso
This is exactly how I lost over 110 pounds. I didn’t start by planning to lose a massive amount of weight. I started by deciding to go for a 10-minute walk. Just one. Then I did it again the next day. Those tiny first steps created the momentum I needed for the entire journey.
On Finding Your Why
Purpose is your personal “why.” It’s the reason you get up when you’d rather stay in bed. It’s the fuel that keeps you going when things get tough. When your actions are connected to a deep sense of meaning, even the hardest tasks feel worthwhile.
- “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
- “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain
- “Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” – John F. Kennedy
- “Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it.” – Buddha
When I was stuck in my old habits, I had no “why.” My only goal was to feel good for a moment. My new “why” became honoring the body God gave me and building a life of clarity and strength. That reason was powerful enough to pull me through the toughest cravings and moments of weakness.
On Facing Challenges
A purposeful life isn’t an easy life. In fact, choosing a meaningful path often means choosing the harder road. You will face setbacks. You will feel like giving up. But these struggles are not just obstacles; they are the very things that shape and strengthen us.
- “What stands in the way becomes the way.” – Marcus Aurelius
- “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
- “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
- “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” – Michael Jordan
- “The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” – Ernest Hemingway
On Faith and Service
For me, true purpose is ultimately found outside of myself. It’s rooted in my relationship with God and in serving others. When I stopped focusing only on my own problems and started looking for ways to love God and my neighbor, my life gained a depth of meaning I never knew before.
- “Acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands around you will be saved.” – St. Seraphim of Sarov
- “The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity.” – Leo Tolstoy
- “Our Lord did not say, ‘You will not be troubled, you will not be tempted, you will not be distressed.’ He said, ‘You will not be overcome.’” – St. Julian of Norwich
- “No one has ever become poor by giving.” – Anne Frank
- “God does not demand that I be successful. God demands that I be faithful.” – Mother Teresa
My journey to strengthen my Orthodox faith wasn’t a lightning bolt moment. It was a slow and steady process of prayer, attending services, and trying to live a life closer to Christ. This faith became my anchor. It gave every action, from my work to my health, a higher purpose.
On Living with Intention
Purpose isn’t just about the big picture; it’s about how you live each day. It’s in the small habits, the daily choices, and the conscious effort to be present in your own life. You build a purposeful life by living a purposeful day, over and over again.
- “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle
- “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” – Annie Dillard
- “Either you run the day or the day runs you.” – Jim Rohn
- “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” – Oscar Wilde
- “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
This is why I focus on my daily routine. I don’t try to work for eight hours straight. I focus on a few hours of deep, concentrated work. I celebrate small wins. And I end each day with gratitude. These simple, intentional acts are the building blocks of a meaningful life.
Finding your purpose is a journey, not a destination. It’s about progress, not perfection. You don’t have to have it all figured out right now. You just have to take the next right step.
So, here’s my question for you: which one of these quotes spoke to you the most?
Pick just one. Write it down. Put it somewhere you’ll see it every day. And think about one small action you can take today that aligns with its message. That’s where it all begins.
