How Do We Find Our Life’s Purpose?

One of the most common questions I hear is, “How do I know what I’m meant to do?”

The answer is much closer than you think.

Allah has already planted the signs within you. Your passions, your skills, your natural inclinations, the things that come effortlessly to you — these are not random. They are divine clues. They are part of your fitrah. You were designed that way for a reason.

Yes, our ultimate purpose is to worship Allah, that is the foundation of our existence. But ibādah is not limited to just prayer, fasting, and rituals. It is also how you live, how you serve, how you use the tools Allah gave you to leave goodness behind. Your talents, your voice, your presence, your creativity, your ability to problem-solve, to organise, to uplift, to nurture, to build, all of that can become worship when done with the right intention.

So your purpose is not a copy-paste formula. It is not just about doing what is seen as religious. It is about discovering what you were created for and how you can serve Allah in your own beautiful and authentic way.

When you follow these God-given gifts, when you choose paths that make your heart feel alive and in flow, you begin walking towards your purpose. That deep contentment, that sense of this feels right is your soul recognising alignment with its purpose.

But when we ignore our gifts, when we do what we think others expect of us or what society has dictated for us, we often feel disconnected, anxious, and low. We feel heavy without knowing why. So many people today are feeling depressed, sluggish, stuck or like they are just existing, and in many cases, it’s because they are not living in alignment with what they were created for.

Allah did not place your talents in you for them to go unused. He gave you your skills so you could honour them, nurture them, and use them in service of Him and others. When your work or actions are rooted in your gifts and your intention is to serve Allah, it no longer feels like a burden. It becomes ibādah. It becomes an act of love.

Think about the things you loved doing as a child. The things that made you feel proud, energised, or excited. Maybe you loved storytelling. Maybe you naturally comforted others. Maybe you were creative with your hands or had a talent for teaching. Maybe you had an eye for beauty, or a heart that noticed the pain of others. These weren’t just childhood hobbies. They were early signs of what Allah placed in you.

But many of us were taught to dim our light. To be quieter. To not take up space. To choose something more practical. To do what is acceptable, not what is meaningful. So we shrink. We suppress. And over time, we forget.

And when we forget ourselves, we forget our purpose.

But dear sister, you were never meant to be a copy of anyone else.

You were meant to be fully and beautifully you.

Sometimes people will tell you that you are too much. Too confident. Too soft. Too opinionated. Too outspoken. Too creative. Too spiritual. Too ambitious. But what if your too much is what someone else needed to see to believe it is possible for them too?

When you live as your full self, you unknowingly give others permission to do the same. You become a mirror. You become light. You become a silent invitation for others to reconnect with who they are too.

And as mothers, this becomes even more important. Your children are watching you. They observe how you treat yourself, how you speak about your passions, how you honour or dismiss your own gifts. They also come into this world with their own talents. And it is part of your trust as a mother to nurture those gifts, to make space for their uniqueness, and to not impose your own fears or limits onto their journey. When you honour your own purpose, you teach your children to do the same. When you live with light, they learn how to shine too.

Your purpose does not need to be something loud or grand. Sometimes it is subtle, quiet and intimate. It might be the way you hold space for others. The way you bring calm into a room. The way you inspire through words. The way you serve behind the scenes. Or the way your presence brings healing.

No matter what form it takes, it matters.

You were created with intention. You were created by the One who makes no mistakes.

So do not shrink. Do not wait for permission. Do not bury the gifts that were entrusted to you. Use them. Honour them. Sharpen them. And most importantly, use them to serve Allah and uplift others.

You will find your energy returning. You will feel your soul breathe again. And life will begin to taste sweet. Because you are finally living in the way you were always meant to.

May Allah allow us all to walk in our purpose with sincerity, courage, and joy.

May we honour the gifts He placed within us.

And may we raise children who are confident enough to walk in theirs too.