It's strange to have been asked to write something on the subject of a sense of purpose, being a person who was never very sure what that meant. I always felt that "my" sense of purpose was in other people's hands. What made you happy, what was important to you was "my" sense of purpose. Today I can gratefully say that I  truly know what a sense of purpose is to me. It comes from a place deep in my soul, a place that lay dormant for many years while I was caught up in the throws of my addiction. I call this my love place. I have learned that if I can listen from, speak from and live from that place my life is full of meaning and joy. I started my journey in a bad place with no love for myself or another. I decided to act "as if" I was here to do God's work and as I did that I started getting honest and willing and came to believe that I already was doing God's work. By doing the next right thing for myself and staying safe I have learned that putting out my hand to another human being is God's way. When I can help another I reap the benefits. By getting involved with Recovery Without Walls I have been given a chance to help someone, to give back what was so generously given to me. I have known the struggles of not having a place to go that was  safe, or people in my life that were supportive. By providing the information that I do, my hope is that maybe someone else won't have to struggle the way I did. A wise man once said to me that by speaking the unspeakable you are allowing yourself to heal. When I was able to start doing that I realized that  I am a courageous, strong, brave, and capable women who has learned to trust that I have everything I need. I have learned that my sense of purpose comes from reaching out a hand to help another. Smiling at someone who may not be having a great day, but most of all my sense of purpose is to be true to myself and live my life by a set of spiritually based principles that allow me to be the women that I was intended to be.