Finding Purpose in Big Problems

Sometimes personal disaster has a clarifying effect on our life goals. Tina Herold found purpose she never anticipated after going through the rigors of chemotherapy for breast cancer. Now a survivor for more than 5 years, Tina walks other cancer patients through the process of finding the perfect wig at her shop, Wigged Out. But wig-selling isn’t Tina’s first priority. Every customer who meets Tina finds a listening ear, a sounding board, a resource, and a friend. She is able to provide comfort and dignity to women who have been feeling a lack of either.

Some of Tina’s customers are experiencing stage 4 cancer. Their prognosis isn’t optimistic, and yet, they receive the same care and attention from Tina. There is nothing like experiencing hardship to make us more empathetic. When struggling with hard times, it’s easy to become self-focused. But by realizing that our own hurts and struggles are keys to the experiences of others, we open ourselves to the possibility of doing good for others that we would never be capable of before. By developing this focus in our own life, perhaps we, like Tina, can create careers that are much more than jobs. The best work is vocation: passionate pursuit of a personal life purpose.

Not all of us will experience cancer, but suffering in some form is one of the guarantees of life. But it’s not all bad. Hard times let us remember what is most important to others. For those of us balancing careers, personal lives, interests, and goals, we can find a sense of purpose in helping others through things we’ve struggled with ourselves. Take a look at the problems you are facing now, or ones that you have already found your way through. Perhaps this is area in life that you can offer someone else compassion, insight, and real help.