Ahh, the age-old battle – soul purpose vs life purpose! Have you felt it? Do you know the difference?
There comes a point in most of our lives when we stop and ask, “What am I supposed to be doing?”
Not just in a “what’s my next step?” kind of way, but with a deeper ache beneath it — a longing to know that our life means something. That we are living in alignment with what we came here to do.
In our companion article, Why am I here?, we explored the idea that we are eternal spiritual beings — souls who have chosen this human experience for growth, expansion, and expression.
But even when you believe that, the question still arises:
What exactly did I come here to do?
And is there a difference between my soul purpose and my life purpose?
I believe there is. And it’s a distinction that can bring great peace and permission — especially if you’ve ever felt behind, lost, or uncertain.
What is soul purpose?
Your soul purpose is the reason your soul exists in the first place. It’s not about what you do on a day-to-day basis. It’s about where you come from, and who you are becoming. It’s the eternal thread that weaves through every lifetime you’ve ever had, and every lifetime still to come.
It’s about experience, growth, expansion, and remembering who you truly are in your journey to rediscover yourself as part of the Divine Creator.
You didn’t come here just to tick off goals or find one perfect job. You came here to be — to feel love, to explore contrast, to learn compassion, to play, to create, to evolve.
“Your soul came here not to do one specific job, but to grow, remember, and expand into new expressions of itself.”
Imagine a painter who doesn’t just want to paint one perfect picture, but wants to experiment with colours, styles, and moods. Your soul is like that painter — curious, brave, creative. Some karmic or dharmic frameworks in Hinduism or Buddhism) suggest souls have specific lessons or roles which you choose before you come here, but these can be learned in many different ways and indeed, the universe has a way of guiding you to them.
Your soul purpose might include:
- Learning how to love more deeply
- Releasing karmic patterns
- Remembering your connection to Source
- Exploring the balance between personal freedom and responsibility
- Anchoring light, love and compassion into a specific time in history
It’s not tied to a job title. It’s the essence behind everything you do.
What is life purpose?
Your life purpose, by contrast, is more specific to this particular incarnation. It often shows up as passions, roles, talents, or causes that matter to you in this life, right now. These may be different to things you wanted to experience in another lifetime.
And here’s the key; your life purpose can change over time.
It might be obvious in childhood (a girl who always writes fantasy stories, perhaps or a young boy who is always tinkering on the piano.) Or it might emerge slowly through life’s twists and turns. Sometimes it arrives through pain and what we sometimes call our ‘suffering’ or a revelation during a Dark Night of the Soul. And if we’re particularly tuned in, we can find it through following our passions, leading us to joy.
Your life purpose is the vehicle. Your soul purpose is the fuel.
Think of someone who grew up in a family full of conflict and ended up becoming a mediator or coach. Their soul might be here to explore harmony, empathy, or healing generational wounds received over lifetimes, but their life purpose expresses that in this lifetime by helping others find peace.
Or someone else might start out as a teacher and later become a gardener. To the outside world, it’s a major career change, but underneath, their deeper purpose might be about nurturing growth, holding space for life to unfold, or working in rhythm with nature.
Your life purpose might look like:
- Being a parent
- Sharing your creativity, for example, by creating art or music
- Building ethical businesses
- Volunteering or caring for others
- Writing, healing, creating, teaching, leading
- Helping the world evolve spiritually
But none of these are the purpose. They are expressions of it. They can change, transmute or be let go of at will if you choose.
How do soul and life purpose connect?
When soul purpose and life purpose come together, something beautiful happens.
You feel aligned. Not necessarily always comfortable because there will always be contrasts in life to motivate us to move forward and change. However, you may feel more connected, as if your life is being lived from the inside out, following the ideas in your heart.
Here’s an example:
Ella always knew she wanted to be a doctor. But over time, she felt drained by the system — until she shifted into holistic healing. Her soul’s purpose was always about helping others heal, but her life purpose evolved as she did.
Another example:
Tom spent most of his life feeling directionless. Then, in his 50s, he began mentoring young men who’d grown up without fathers — just as he had. He didn’t set out to ‘find his purpose’. He just followed the thread of what felt meaningful to him. And it turned out to be exactly what he was here to offer.
When we stop forcing ourselves to find the one right job and instead listen to what lights us up, our life purpose becomes a fluid and fulfilling way to live out our soul’s deeper call.
There is a note of caution here too.
Many of us grow up accepting and taking on the ideas of others rather than our own. We may follow a particular choice of study or career because that is what our parents wanted us to do, even though it was not our passion. We may choose things because we think it will please others, particularly if we have a low self-esteem to begin with and feel that we need to validate ourselves by pleasing others.
These are all distractions that can lead you away from your own true connection. You will NEVER be able to please all the people in your life and you were NEVER meant to. What they think about what you do, and the choices you make, are on them. It is not your purpose to come down and try to make others happy so that they feel better. That is not saying “Don’t be kind to others or help them,” but it is saying “Stop doing the things you do in the vain attempt of gaining someone else’s acceptance. Live your life to make yourself feel better. That may sound selfish, but it’s what we are here for. That said, mutual support and bringing joy to others can be part of your journey, but only when it arises from your authentic choice, not from fear of reprisals or a missed duty. And often, the best way to align yourself with your own Higher Self, is actually to help other people and be of service! Ironic, I know, but true nonetheless. It all stems from the intention and motivation. If things are based on fear, then they are not aligned with Source Energy.
Common misunderstandings
Let’s clear up a few myths that often cause confusion, disillusion or shame:
❌ “I’ve missed my purpose.”
✅ You can’t. Every experience adds to your soul’s understanding. Even the detours are part of the path.
❌ “I need to figure out the one thing I’m meant to do.”
✅ Your soul didn’t come here for just one task. You might have seasons of purpose — and each one matters.
❌ “I’m behind.”
✅ There’s no spiritual stopwatch. Your soul is operating on eternal time, not human time.
If you’ve ever changed direction, started over, or questioned everything you were initially taught, you’re probably right on track.
How to find your life’s purpose – three guiding paths
There’s no one-size-fits-all method for discovering your life’s purpose. But through my own experience and many conversations, I’ve found that there are three powerful ways to uncover it. Each path opens a doorway to greater alignment with who you are and what you’re here to do.
1. Follow your passion and find your bliss
Joseph Campbell famously said, “Follow your bliss.” It’s a phrase that’s often repeated, but it holds real power when you understand what it means. Bliss isn’t about always being happy or avoiding challenge. It’s about doing what makes you feel alive – those moments when time disappears, and you’re fully absorbed in something that feels like it was made for you.
For some, it’s music. For others, it’s gardening, teaching, designing, building, writing, healing, fishing, construction, or simply being with animals. The list is as endless as there are infinite souls in the universe.
Your bliss doesn’t have to look impressive or make perfect sense to anyone else. What matters is that it lifts YOU. When you follow the thread of joy, curiosity, and natural energy, it often leads you straight to your life purpose and a reconnection with your Higher Self and Source Energy.
Think of someone who lights up when they paint, or who feels completely fulfilled volunteering with children or rescuing wildlife. These are not random preferences – they’re clues. Follow the energy. It knows the way.
2. Think for yourself
One of the most radical and liberating things you can do is to stop living by someone else’s definition of success. We’re so often conditioned to believe that we should want or do certain things: a steady career, a mortgage, a particular image. But sometimes our soul purpose – and by extension, our life purpose – is nothing like that.
To discover what you are truly here to do, you may need to unlearn a few things. Ask yourself:
- What have I been told I should do that I don’t actually want to do?
- If no one was watching, what would I choose?
- What values feel non-negotiable to me?
Thinking for yourself means stepping out of autopilot and learning to trust your inner compass. It might not always be easy, but it will always be honest. Life purpose is rarely found in conformity. It’s found in authenticity. It’s like stepping out of the ‘Matrix’ and opening your eyes to the reality of you.
On a personal note, I have done this in my own life and this blog and other things are the result. Have I faced opposition from family and friends? Of course! But do I let them bother me now? Never!
3. Meditate to allow your true self to guide you
Some of the clearest answers come in the quiet. When you learn to still the noise of expectation, anxiety, or constant planning, your Higher Self can speak. Meditation, journalling, breathwork, or simply spending time in nature can create the inner space needed for your soul’s wisdom to rise to the surface.
Ask inwardly:
- What would you have me do?
- Where would you have me go?
- What would you have me say, and to whom?
(A question posed by A Course in Miracles)
Sometimes you won’t get an instant answer – and that’s okay. But over time, regular inner connection will strengthen your intuitive guidance. You’ll begin to notice synchronicities. Ideas will land out of nowhere. The right opportunities will find you. That’s your soul whispering: Come this way, now this way…
Here are some soul-led ways to uncover your current life purpose — or at least tune in to where it’s nudging you:
- Follow what feels alive. Not what’s logical, expected, or externally validated — but what lights YOU up from the inside out
- Pay attention to what others thank you for. Often, your gifts are most visible to those you help
- Notice repeating themes. What patterns show up again and again in your work, relationships, or dreams?
- Reflect on your challenges. Your so-called ‘mess’ may become your message – remember, the universe is like a mirror, reflecting back what you put out
- Write without editing. Ask yourself: “What would I love to experience or create in this life?” Let your soul answer
Your purpose may not come as a single lightning bolt. It may arrive as a series of soft whispers that gently, persistently call you forward along the winding path that is your life on Earth.
Remember
Your soul purpose is the eternal flame.
Your life purpose is the candle you’re holding today.
Both are valid. Both are sacred.
One is who you are becoming across all time.
The other is how you’re choosing to show up right now.
You didn’t come here to get it perfect.
You came here to live. To choose. To remember.
And to bring something unique into the world just by being you.
So if you’re wondering what your purpose is…
Start by listening to your soul. It’s been speaking to you all along.
Related articles
Why am I here? Exploring the deeper purpose of life through the eyes of the soul
The illusion of the ‘right path’ and a single life purpose
