Purpose lives in all that you do - if you're aware of it

By Kelly Berthold, LCSW

Emilie Wapnick’s TED Talk, “Why Some of Us Don

’t Have One True Calling,” challenges the culturally reinforced idea that purpose must be singular — a fixed identity or a single destination we eventually arrive at. Instead, she invites us to explore the richness and multiplicity of our interests, strengths, and contributions across time. This message powerfully connects to the deeper concept of flourishing and meaningful living.

We’re often conditioned to think of purpose as a solitary pursuit — one job, one passion, one big “why.” But flourishing isn’t a narrow path; it’s a dynamic, evolving process. When we embrace purposeful living instead of chasing a single, elusive purpose, we start to recognize that meaning is made in moments, in our choices, and in how we show up with the full range of who we are.

Wapnick’s perspective resonates with the idea that each of us is made up of many strengths, roles, and potentials — and that it’s not only valid, but deeply fulfilling, to live in a way that honors all of them. Flourishing is not about finding the one thing that defines us, but about expressing the wholeness of who we are — over time, in different ways, across different contexts. It’s about being aware of what we bring to each moment and using that awareness to contribute meaningfully, however the moment calls for it.

This perspective also echoes Aristotle’s idea that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” In this case, the “whole” of a purposeful life is greater than any one role, job, title, or goal. It’s found in the cumulative, evolving, and connected ways we contribute to the world and to others — through our curiosity, creativity, relationships, and courage to be fully ourselves, even when we don’t fit neatly into a singular label.

Ultimately, asking “What do you want to be?” narrows us. But asking, “How do you want to live?” opens us up to ongoing discovery, deeper engagement, and a more sustainable form of purpose that honors the full landscape of human potential. Wapnick reminds us that living meaningfully doesn’t come from choosing one destination — it comes from recognizing all we can be, and bringing those parts to life moment by moment.