How To Help Others Find Their Purpose

At least once a month, someone reaches out to me and says, “I want to help others find their purpose in life. What do I do next?”  

The purpose movement is happening. Recently, my friend Afdhel Aziz, gave me the chills. He said something to the effect of “you can tell a movement is real, when there is no one leader, when it’s arising in us all simultaneously.” And that is what is happening with the purpose movement. It’s rising in some form or another in all of us.

We’re getting hit from all angles. We’re seeing a dysfunctional world, wondering who we are in the face of it, and what is ours to do as all that we hold sacred is being assaulted. We’re increasingly making purpose-aligned choices in our health, careers and love lives. We’re demanding more from our careers than a paycheck. We're seeing big business organizations and media organizations joining ranks. Our conversations are drifting more towards impact, authenticity, connection and service. We're seeing an overwhelming amount of research supporting living a purpose-driven life; purpose makes us healthy, happier, wealthier and more connected.

And for some of us, this purpose rising occurs as a deep ache to serve others in finding their purpose. That’s what happened to me after I completed my initial purpose work in 2012. I’ve written this article to share what I’ve learned on my journey of guiding others, and helping add structure and coherence to the movement / community of practice.

What follows is not an authoritative or comprehensive view, just my personal opinion based on my training, scholarship and experience. If you’re clear that you are called to help others discover and live their purpose, there are a number critical areas to explore: 1. Connection, 2. Education, and 3. Activation. They do not necessarily need to be completed in sequence, but I recommend it.

No matter where you are in the journey to becoming a guide, having a community of practice to support you helps keep you in the conversation, so you don't get sidetracked. Understanding the scholarship of our craft will help you as a guide and provide clarity to you and your clients about the best approach for them. The best way to actually serve is to be trained in a purpose discovery method. After being trained you can add your own take on it or create something brand new, as many guides and coaches have done.

Area #1: Connection

It’s critical to connect with others in the space and get an understanding of the landscape. To connect with your colleagues, I encourage you to join the Global Purpose Leaders, a worldwide network of purpose practitioners, who approach their work from a variety of traditions and lineages. You’ll find therapists, coaches, HR professionals, shamans, consultants, clergy, technologists, activists and educators.  

When you join GPL, you’ll meet people who have been trained by Tim Kelley / True Purpose Institute, Jonathan Gustin / the Purpose Guides Institute, Bill Plotkin / the Animas Valley Institute, Martha Beck / Wayfinder as well as in other coaching, therapeutic and shamanic traditions. We gather live once a year in the fall and connect via video conference a couple times a month to share best practices, support each other’s work, collaborate on projects and deepen our connection as a community of practice. Full disclosure: I helped launch GPL and serve on the Council. Everyone who leads this community is a volunteer, and our small membership fee ($6/mo or $50/yr) covers our administrative costs.

Area #2: Education

In addition to connecting with your tribe, I recommend going deep into the vast field of literature that has been written about this sacred and critical work. While there are dozens of profound works from Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Malidoma Some, Parker Palmer, Joanna Macy, Martin Prechtel, Stephen Cope, Robert Bly, Hafiz, James Hillman and Rod Stryker, I regard these 4 as the Soul Purpose Canon. [Note: this is just my opinion and I’m certain that my colleagues would offer a different set of texts. You’ll also see that the authors I’m most drawn to are English-speaking, Western white men like myself. There are incredible works by people of color and women, from around the world, and in languages I don't speak, but these four are my favorite. I return to them frequently.]

#1. Tim Kelley’s True Purpose (2009)

Tim’s book is a straight-forward and highly effective purpose discovery framework and process that I was guided through. It informs all of my work. More importantly, I regard Tim as one of the most embodied leaders of our work. He, himself, is what success looks like to me. He’s kind, funny, open, curious, smart and generous, and his life and career continue to expand. I can say the same of the other TPI coaches and consultants I have met and worked with.

#2. Bill Plotkin’s Nature and the Human Soul (2008)

Bill’s book offers the most comprehensive pathway for soul-centric human development. Each time I read it, I discover something new about my purpose and purpose work. His grasp of adulthood, the human condition and how we transform humanity from ego-centric to soul-centric is unparalleled. His other books, “Soulcraft” and “Wild Mind” go into greater depth on the practicalities of awakening and embodying soul. 

#3. Michael Meade’s Fate and Destiny (2010)

Michael’s book is poetic, full of myth, mystery and soul. He illuminates the feeling and mystical aspects of being soul-awakened better than anyone else.

#4. Thomas Moore’s Care of the Soul (1994)

Thomas’s book is the most commercially successful book (NYT best-seller) about living from soul. He goes into great detail about how soul shows up in our daily lives, our passions, our relationships and our careers.

Lastly, I recommend exploring the Science of Purpose, which quantifies and measures the many benefits of living our purpose. It correlates purpose with numerous desirable outcomes in our health, careers, relationships and society. I also suggest my book, Planet on Purpose (2018) , which provides a broader context of the movement, and how we optimize human society for soulfulness.

Area #3: Activation

Before you train as a guide, it is critical to first complete purpose discovery work as a participant. Even if you are already clear on your purpose through some other experience or work, experiencing the work newly from someone who is trained in delivering the work effectively is essential. It gives you the certainty that you are on the right path as a guide, and a deeper understanding of, and sense of empathy with, those you will serve. You can explore some guides to work with here.

Once complete, you must be trained. Do not wing it - this is sacred and dangerous work (to you and those you guide). It requires mentorship and mastery to hold space for the messiness of each person’s or group’s unique jounrey. Of the many programs that you can train in I recommend the following:

1. True Purpose Institute. The TPI approach is the most straight-forward, effective and accessible method I have experienced. It works with people who have no personal development experience and for people who are far along on their journey. Their leaders are the real deal, and have years, if not decades, of experience guiding others (as well as organizations) and training people to become effective purpose coaches and consultants.  
2. Purpose Guides Institute. PGI is another great program that goes deeper into the mystical, and ritual aspects of soul-activation. It’s where I did my training. In my judgment, it’s perfect for those of us who are spiritually or mystically oriented, and want to serve others who are similar.
3. Animas Valley Institute. The AVI approach is geared towards those who primarily want to work with others in nature, using wild nature as the conduit for soul revelation. AVI is unique as it is sourced in the Native American questing ceremonies and the enormous scholarship of Bill Plotkin.

I encourage you to explore all three. These approaches are not mutually exclusive, and if you have the resources, you can take programs from all three, as many of us in GPL do. However, any or all of these approaches are not sufficient to be financially successful as a guide. You’ll also need to have business training or partner with someone who enjoys that side of the trade. There are hundreds of business coaches who specialize in empowering service-based entrepreneurs to be successful.

Lastly, to live your purpose, whether or not you are a guide, you will need a community devoted to transformation, support and accountability, as living from soul is a life-sentence. You’re never done truing up your life with the contours of your soul. I recommend sitting in an intentional circle, where you’ll meet 1-4 times a month to do work on yourself, transforming the behaviors, beliefs, triggers and wounds that are in the way of living your purpose. For men, there is the ManKind Project, and for women there is Woman Within and HER. Each of these offers weekend trainings and ongoing circles. Mentors, soul guides, Jungian Analysts, EMDR therapists and shadow work are also hugely valuable.

If you are called to do purpose work with groups or be a member of teams committed to purpose activation, you’ll also need to be a leader and facilitator. A leader in purpose work, requires a unique set of skills that you can develop with leadership coaches and training programs. There are many to choose from. I have benefited tremendously from the leadership offerings of the ManKind Project and Landmark.

My hope is that this was helpful and it guides you as you follow your soul’s calling to serve. Please let me know how this lands, and any objections or questions that arise.

About the Author

Brandon Peele (he/him) is a Midwesterner, best-selling author, international speaker and serial impact entrepreneur.

He creates a flourishing future for the United States of America, by activating purposeful organizations and cultures of trust, innovation and collaboration.

Over the last two decades, he has written / co-written 4 books on purpose activation. He has driven growth for several Fortune 500 and start-ups companies, and has guided thousands of people on their journey to discover and live their higher purpose.

He works with moms, dads, veterans, clergy, students and retirees, as well as world-class athletes, artists, scientists, entrepreneurs and leaders from organizations such as Johnson & Johnson, Stanford University, The United States Marine Corps, Google, The Smithsonian Institutes and Apple.