The Difference Between Your Why and Your Purpose

Your Why = Your Fuel

• This is what keeps you going.
• It’s the personal reason you get out of bed and stay sober today.
• It’s emotional, often connected to people you love, things you’ve lost, and what you never want to lose again.
• Examples:
  • “I want to be the dad I never had.”
  • “I’ve had enough funerals.”
  • “I want to look in the mirror and not hate myself.”

See it as:

“Your why is what lights the fire. It’s what hurts enough or matters enough that you finally said, ‘I’m done.’”

Your Purpose = Your Compass

• This is where you’re headed.
• It’s about meaning — what you want your life to stand for.
• It’s bigger than cravings or court — it’s how you want to show up in the world.
• Examples:
  • “To make amends and serve others like I was helped.”
  • “To break the generational cycle of addiction.”
  • “To live free, humble, and honest.”

See it as:

“Your purpose is what your life is pointed toward. You don’t have to be there yet. But you have to name it — or you’ll keep circling the block.”