I have never been one to want my career to be the most fulfilling part of my life. To me life was the stuff after work that I wanted to be the good part. I was the same way with school .. i was there for the boys and for my friends and for cheerleading .. I could not have cared less about my grades or learning or trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. Now as I am getting older I can see where that may not have been the best plan. I wish I would have taken college more seriously. I always just wanted to be married and have a family.

So now I am stuck with no real career and no family. I am not sure what the answer is to this either. I think a lot of people struggle with the same thing.

Does beer and Powerball count?

So.. what drives you? What is your passion, purpose? What gives your life meaning and context? Anyone else struggle with that?

I totally struggle with this. I didn't take the traditional route in obtaining my college eduction and it took me nine years of working full time and going to school to get it. So, now I have a job I like and is fairly easy but I don't feel like I'm doing "enough" with my life just working and raising my kids. I know that it should be enough, but in my mind its not. So, I've just decided to make the kids and myself my focus, my passion. I definitely don't live to work....I work to live. It's the living part I struggle with so you aren't the only one!! :flowerforyou:

Success and the idea that I'm going to carry myself and make a difference one day is what drives me. When I go past something that I set my mind to, whether it be lifting heavier or running an extra mile, or acing an exam. Just pushing further and succeeding.
As far as carrying myself... My dad did it. My mother never had to work a day in her life... I don't want that. I want to be able to say, "I did this. I built this life."
And making a difference... Whether it's donating blood or PBJ outreach or volunteering at The Friendship circle, I love the feeling of making a difference in someone else's life. Even if they don't know that I did.

Not all jobs give us a sense of fulfillment and purpose. However how active are you in your community or your church. Church may not be for everyone, but what about your community?

I am and have been an active duty Marine for nearly 21 years (yes I get a great sense of fulfillment from this) but this my current and last duty station is the first time I have gotten to be a part of the community I live in. I am on the board for various non profits and am currently seeking an appointment to the state education delegation and a review board for foster care reveiw. These things fill me with purpose and make me feel as though I am making a difference.

Just look around you and see what things seem to not work right and get involved.

Watch this short clip...sit down and decide what you would do...do that!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siu6JYqOZ0g

I'd pick the same exact that I'm going to school for... I remember being 6 or 7 and telling everyone on career day what I wanted to be. It hasn't changed since then, either.

This is going to sound cliche... but until I had my daughter, I was just lost. I had gone to school, got an Associates degree and had been working in the field that I Thought I had wanted to be in. I loved my job, but was so messed up with my ex (my daughter's father) that I had given up...turned to drugs and alcohol. Ran up debt and just didn't care.

When I got pregnant, something inside my head swiched on. I left, got out and found a way to stand back up on my own two feet. What drives me today isn't so much my work (I love the people, but drawing pipes in dirt is vastly different from designing multimillion dollar homes...lol. But it's a secure job, therefore I love it.), and isn't solely my daughter. It's more the act of being a good example and believing in myself. Proving to myself that I can do what needs to be done, and have fun while getting there.

Somewhere along the way I stopped searching for happiness, or rather, that 'thing' I thought was going to make me happy... I looked around and found happiness in my day. Began living for now, and learned how to set goals (something I was never very good at prior to my 30's).

I have no idea...is that bad? I just live my life day in day out, punch the clock, come home, work out, sleep. Repeat the next day.

I'm truly blessed because I love what I do for a living and make an insane amount of money doing it. I'm lucky to be challenged and also to have the autonomy I so desperately need to be happy. I spent many years in so many jobs that drained my spirit so I know the value of what I have now. I was lucky because I always loved the field of work I was in, I just hated the places where I worked. It's much harder if you don't actually like or enjoy what you're doing.

I also find a lot of purpose in my personal life but no matter how great my personal life may be, I wasn't as happy until I found this job. For me, I spend a lot of time at work (50-60 hours a week) so if I'm unhappy there, it does tend to spill over into the rest of my life too.

I have no idea...is that bad? I just live my life day in day out, punch the clock, come home, work out, sleep. Repeat the next day.

No hun your a little younger than most of us. You have plenty of time to find your passion and purpose.

Good to hear!

My passions in life....my kids, my job, other kids and church.

My kids will always be my passion, but I think that could be said of any parent. Every decision I make is with them at the forefront.

The career I have may not be the job I dreamed of growing up, but it is close. I knew when I was 12 that I wanted to work for the army. When I hurt my knees and had to get out, I became a federal civilian and now get to serve those that I am so proud of. Sure it's not the same, but I really wouldn't want to do anything else.

Other kids....I love working/playing with other kids. Whether it's at church, school or my kids' baseball games, I love volunteering with the kids. Their hearts are so big and there is so much you can learn from a child.

Church.....Volunteering with church, singing with the choir, even listening to the sermon. It's just something that I am passionate about, as well as gives me a purpose.

Hello. My name is Darla. I'm addicted to passion and purpose.

Ever heard the saying, "If you want something done, just ask a busy person"?

Well, that's me.

I love life and love living it to the fullest.

I LOVE my calling. I am an 8th grade literacy (English, Language Arts... call it what you like) teacher. And I LOVE MY JOB. I don't feel like it's a "job." I mean, I've actually thought, "Wow. I get paid for doing this." Yeah... I'm a total nerd. I love learning, and I love to share my knowledge and expertise and skills with others. I am completely passionate about teaching my kids to read, write, and think, to become better communicators and problem solvers. I get up early so I can get to work early. I spend my time with my students when they are in my classroom. I work through my lunch, eating a bite here and there. I stay after school. I sometimes don't get home until 7:00 p.m. (mainly because I commute). I am definitely doing what I am supposed to be doing. I cannot imagine myself doing anything else and being happy!

One reason I go to work early and stay late, though, is because I don't bring work home. Once I get home, my time is devoted to my own children. They are my #1 passion. I love all three of them with my whole being, and as much as I love teaching, if it interfered with my children, I would totally give it up. I enjoy my kids. We go places together; we laugh together; we talk to one another; we play games with each other; we sit and cuddle on the couch and watch movies with each other. My kids tell me all kinds of things, like when they had their first kiss, etc. We are close.

I'm one of those people, though, that always needs a project. My projects can be people or grad school or a second job or just helping others. I seemingly go from one "project" to another. One year, my niece moved in with me. I love her like a daughter and did my best to help her. When she moved back home to be with her mother, I started grad school. Then, I got a boyfriend. And he became my "project." This past summer, I took in 3 kids to stay with me for a while. I took over helping my mother sell her house and move. I have taken in several kids at various times...

I always have something going...

That was one reason I had decided to get on MFP and change my lifestyle. I am always taking care of others. I thought it was time to take care of me, too.

But I've realized something about myself... if I'm not busy, I'm not happy. Yes, I can occasionally sit and watch a movie and relax with the kids. But, honestly, I could never be Betty Crocker, Suzie Q happy homemaker. Well, if I did stay home, I wouldn't be home. I'd be that volunteer at the hospital and nursing home, the homeroom mom for all three of my children, the craft lady, etc.

ETA: I take that back. I could be a "house wife" but I'd be the busy kind. I'd play around in the kitchen creating new recipes, have supper cooked for my family every night... etc... lol... I love to cook and play hostess. I think, for me, it's just about doing stuff and helping others... that's part of my passion and purpose...

Okay, so I wrote a novel.. time for bed... but yeah, to answer your question, I believe in living life passionately and on purpose!!!!

I used to have a lot of both, and then life kicked my *kitten* and now I just go a day at a time.