9 Best Books on Finding Your Purpose in Life

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Have you found your purpose in life?

If you’re still searching, we hope that today’s article, which features some of the best books on purpose, will be able to point you in the right direction.

The journey to finding your purpose in life can be long and arduous, but the end results are definitely worth it.

But why do we need to find our purpose in life? Couldn’t we just coast along, taking what each day brings?

Knowing your life’s purpose has several advantages.

Table of Contents

The Advantages of Knowing Your Purpose in Life

The following are some of the benefits you’ll enjoy when you’re aware of your life’s purpose:

Longevity
Better heart health
Stronger immune system
Lower risk of developing dementia
Happier disposition
Ability to earn more

Quick Tips for Finding Your Purpose

Here are some quick suggestions to help you begin the process of uncovering your purpose in life. (A detailed guide to finding your life’s purpose can be found in this post.)

Recall the activities you enjoyed doing as a child.
Recall your happiest childhood memory.
Take note of the reasons people come to you for help.
Think about the tasks or work you’d willingly do for free.
Think about what you’d willingly do even if others might laugh at you.

Read on for our featured books that will help you discover what it is that you were born to achieve and contribute to the world.

1. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

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Written from the perspective of a Holocaust survivor, Man’s Search for Meaning is one of the most inspiring books about how to find meaning amidst a life filled with suffering.

Born in 1905, Frankl was an Austrian psychiatrist and neurologist. He was known for his breakthrough work in logotherapy.

When WWII broke out, he and his family (who were Jews) were sent to concentration camps. Most of his family did not survive this experience.

Frankl was able to make it, and wrote this book to chronicle his personal experiences in four different concentration camps.

The book shares the following insights:

Our ultimate challenge, as human beings, is to find meaning in our lives.
No matter what situation we are in, we have the power to find meaning in our lives.
The way we react to suffering has an impact on how we find meaning.
Holding on to a sense of purpose is equivalent to having the will to live.

2. The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? By Rick Warren

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If you’re looking for a book on finding your life’s purpose from a Christian perspective, this one is a must-read.

It is not a passive read, but more like a workbook for finding your purpose as ordained by God.

There are 40 chapters in the book, which Warren recommends readers take one chapter per day.

These chapters give you the following insights:

You were planned for God’s pleasure.
You were formed for God’s family.
You were created to become like Christ.
You were shaped for serving God.
You were made for a mission.

3. Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day by Jay Shetty

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If you’re looking for a book that can show you how to achieve purpose in your daily life, you might want to check out Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty.

In this book, Shetty discusses complicated issues such as the search for self-identity, fear and negativity, and living with intention.

In this book, you’ll find a lot of ancient wisdom, as well as anecdotes of Shetty’s personal experiences as a monk. It encourages readers to find where their true passions lie in order to start living life with purpose.

4. Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life: How to Finally, Really Grow Up by James Hollis

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Some people view mid-life as the point where you’ve got most things figured out. However, other people experience mid-life as a time of major changes, disappointments, and a deeper evaluation of what life truly means.

These significant upheavals are addressed in this book by James Hollis

It is a refreshing alternative to the usual viewpoint that mid-life is the time for material success and public recognition.

This is a good option if you are looking for that crucial link in your understanding of personal development in adults.

[Check out this post for our recommendations of the best personal development books that can help bring about the self-improvement you’re aiming for.]

5. The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield

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If you’re a creative type, this book is a must-read for learning how to harness your creative inspiration in order to achieve your life’s purpose.

In the book, we are introduced to the concept of resistance, which is the reason why we do not reach our fullest potential.

Furthermore, we learn that we have two lives: the one that we are living right now and the one that is inside us, still unlived.

The force of resistance becomes stronger when we begin to manifest our unlived lives into reality.

Pressfield shares tips on how to overcome this resistance in order to fully embody the creative within ourselves.

6. Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor Garcia and Francesc Miralles

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The concept of ikigai can be described as the place where your passion, vocation, profession, and personal mission intersect. It is loosely translated as “one’s reason for living.”

Garcia and Miralles share the results of their interviews with the long-living residents of a village in Okinawa, Japan, inspiring readers to embrace the things that truly make them happy.

This book also offers helpful suggestions for cultivating habits that bring you closer to your purpose and help you live a happier life.

7. The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer

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What does it mean to live as an untethered soul?

In this book, Michael A. Singer takes readers on a journey away from the ego and into their true selves, which is his description of an untethered soul.

Here are some of the insights to be gained through the book:

Change is here to stay and is a constant part of life. The only way to cope with change is to accept it and realize that it helps bring forth personal growth.
To gain freedom, we need to accept the presence of pain rather than avoid it.
True happiness comes to us when we decide to be happy.
You hear the voice in your mind, but this voice is not you.

By realizing these and other insights, the reader can move away from their attachments to ego and start living more authentically, in keeping with their true purpose in life.

8. A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle

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This book is one of the most highly respected resources on finding your purpose. In it, Eckhart Tolle reveals how our ego-based state of existence creates our pain and suffering.

Tolle also offers a new way of being that involves going beyond the ego’s promptings and finally living an authentic and fulfilled life.

There are 10 chapters in the book, including:

The Flowering of Human Consciousness
Ego: The Current State of Humanity
The Core of Ego
Role-Playing: The Many Faces of the Ego
The Pain-Body
Breaking Free
Finding Who You Truly Are

9. Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential by Caroline Myss

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This book helps you recognize and honor your spiritual commitments. It is your guide to discerning your true purpose in life.

The author, Caroline Myss, is a medical intuitive. Through her work with clients, she has discovered that mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, as well as physical illnesses, manifest when people do not know what their purpose is in life.

Through this book, readers are introduced to the concept of archetypes and their role in helping us develop a sense of fulfillment by living life in keeping with our purpose.

Final Thoughts

There you have it—the best books on purpose to help you live your life with a sense of meaning and fulfillment.

Have you found a favorite among the titles featured today?

Finding your purpose is a rewarding experience. It enriches your life, providing a channel for happiness and a sense of fulfillment.

Moreover, when you live life with purpose, the people around you also benefit, as they are able to receive the good that you offer to the world.

If you enjoyed this article and are interested in more resources about finding your purpose, the following articles are also worth checking out: