November 2025: What is your purpose? Contributor of the prompt: *Ceone Leistner

Knowing Your Purpose Gives Meaning to Your Life

There’s something extraordinary about waking up one morning and realizing that all the random dots in your life — the messy ones, the shiny ones, and even the ones you’d rather forget — have somehow connected into a picture that makes sense.

For years, I chased purpose like it was some grand prize hidden in a secret vault, waiting for me to find the right combination. I’ve worn more hats than a thrift store mannequin: lobbyist, youth advocate, non-profit director, writer, and travel advisor. Each role came with its own soundtrack — sometimes jazz, sometimes heavy metal — but the melody was always the same: help people, connect hearts, create something that lasts.

I used to think purpose was one big “Aha!” moment — the kind where the sky opens and a choir sings. Turns out, purpose is quieter than that. It’s in the laughter of a survivor who finally feels safe again. It’s in the tears of someone seeing Alaska’s glaciers for the first time. It’s in the quiet hum of my computer late at night when I’m booking someone’s dream cruise and sipping reheated coffee for the third time.

Purpose, I’ve learned, doesn’t knock politely and wait for you to answer. It sneaks in through the side door while you’re busy living. And when you finally notice it, you realize it’s been there all along — shaping your choices, guiding your steps, whispering, “Keep going, you’re on the right path.”

These days, I live my purpose through Travel by Destiny — helping people find healing, joy, and connection through travel. I call it the “Power of Ink and Adventure.” Because sometimes, the best way to rediscover yourself is to pack a suitcase, grab a journal, and get wonderfully lost.

If you ever feel like you’ve misplaced your purpose, don’t panic. It’s probably just off exploring — like me when I wander off in a new port with no map and too much curiosity. It always finds its way back, carrying a few souvenirs and a reminder: meaning isn’t found in what you do, but in why you do it.