It can feel daunting to “find your purpose.” Storytelling can help us see the big picture of our lives.

You can try this: write a short fable about your life. It won't be complete because you're still alive, but that's the point. Keeping it to 5 sentences or 300 words ensures you stick to the most impactful parts of your life. What would you write? How will it end?

Here’s an example:

A boy was born in California to two loving parents. He was by all accounts ordinary, but love and fate intervened, and his life became extraordinary. Through sports, the boy learned the value of earnest and teamwork. He grew up and became a man. He traveled the world, seeking adventure. When he lived in Africa he met many people from all different backgrounds, learning the vital importance of education. It was here he received his vision to change the world through education. He moved to China, working as a teacher. He lost love, and learned family was the most important thing in his life. So he returned home, and there two extraordinary things happened. First, he met the love of his life, forever understanding that love, time and health are the most important things in life. From his travels, he realized this was true for all humans. Second, he used this abundance of love and his unique perspective to start TAV, to bring these lessons to life, and to prove to the world we can change it, adopting a global, universal perspective. For humanity is one species, living together on one planet in the vast cosmos, and it is much better to live united, pursuing change for the good of all. TAV was only moderately successful; the man never became rich or famous. But it was one of the early seeds for humanity’s planet-wide thought revolution. And, after all, as he had learned from his travels, TAV helped the man pursue the most important things in what would be a successful, fulfilling life: an abundance of love, in good health, for all the time of his long life.

Writing a fable forces you to see your own life from an outside perspective. And it can clarify the big important things: what makes you happy, what gives you satisfaction? How will you use your time in this one life? Perhaps this helps you determine your purpose in life. All that’s left is determining how best to finish the story.