S1:E25 How to Find Purpose and Live a Fulfilling Life

Finding Purpose After Adversity: Your Second Mountain Awaits

In this episode of the Flourishing After Adversity podcast, hosted by Laura Mangum Broome, the focus is on discovering purpose after life-changing setbacks such as loss, illness, or unexpected changes. Laura introduces listeners to the concept of David Brooks' 'Two Mountains of Life,' emphasizing the shift from achievement to meaningful connection. She shares practical tools, including a free guide on coping strategies, to help rebuild a life full of purpose. 

The episode outlines Laura's iCope2Hope 3-Step Resilience Framework: developing a growth mindset, discovering your superpowers, and serving others. Through personal anecdotes and actionable steps, Laura encourages listeners to find alignment with their values and embrace their journey toward a fulfilling life. She emphasizes that purpose is an evolving relationship and offers support for those starting their second climb.

00:00 Introduction to Flourishing After Adversity
00:29 Understanding Purpose After Adversity
03:31 Introducing the iCope2Hope 3-Step Resilience Framework
03:46 Step 1: Developing a Growth Mindset
04:52 Step 2: Discovering Your Superpowers
06:03 Step 3: Thinking Outside the Box
06:48 Aligning Actions with Values
08:41 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Free Resource: Reframe the Spiral: 5 Quick Coping Strategies to Shift Negative Thoughts and Reclaim Your Day https://www.icope2hope.com/reframe

iCope2Hope 3-Step Resilience Framework: https://bit.ly/FrameworkRoadmap

Website: iCope2Hope: From Hardship to Hope https://www.icope2hope.com

Move Beyond Adversity Blog:  https://www.icope2hope.com/blog

Free Newsletter: Wednesday’s Resilient Recharge https://www.icope2hope.com/newsletter

Schedule a free 15-minute Clarity Call with Laura: https://bit.ly/15mincallLMB 

David Brooks Book: The Second Mountain

Transcript

0:01

After a loss or change, finding purpose can feel impossible. I'll show you where to start. Welcome to the Flourishing After Adversity podcast. I'm your host, Laura Mangum Broome. If you've ever wondered what's next after loss, illness, or unexpected change, this shows for you. Here you'll find stories, encouragement, and practical tools to help you rise from the valley and rebuild a life that feels meaningful. Again, today's episode is for anyone who's ever felt like they were just going through the motions. You'll learn what purpose really means, why it often gets lost after adversity, and how to find your second mountain, a life that feels fulfilling, not just functional. By the end of this episode, you'll know how to reflect on what still matters after life changes, rediscover your strengths, your superpowers, and rebuild purpose through small acts of service and alignment with your values. But first, a quick resource to help you right now. Are you overwhelmed with negative thoughts after a setback? If so, I've created a free guide called Reframe the Spiral, five Quick Coping Strategies to Shift Negative Thoughts and Reclaim Your Day. these are the same tools I use when I feel stuck in a loop of negative thinking. You can grab your free copy through the link in the show notes. All right. Let's talk about how to find purpose and live a life that feels whole again. You can feel it when purpose is missing. That quiet ache of drifting through your days checking boxes, meeting responsibilities, doing what's expected. But not feeling alive. Inside purpose is the difference between waking up and simply getting up. It gives your choices weight, your relationship's, warmth, and your day's direction. author David Brooks calls his search for meaning. The two mountains of life, the first mountain achievement, it's about career success and independence. Many of us climb it for decades, chasing titles, comfort, and approval, only to reach the top and realize something still missing. Then life interrupts a loss. An illness, a divorce, something that shakes the foundation we've built and suddenly we're in the valley questioning everything. That valley can feel like failure, but it's not. It's where transformation begins. The second mountain isn't about success, it's about meaning. It's about connection, community, and contribution. We climbed this mountain not to prove ourselves, but to give ourselves, it's where moral joy lives. That deep satisfaction that comes from using your pain as fuel for something meaningful. after my own world fell apart, I thought my purpose had ended. What actually ended was a version of me who believed purpose came from roles and titles. What emerged later through faith reflection and small acts of service was a deeper steadier kind of purpose. Helping others rebuild after life breaks their script. If you're in that same in-between space right now, wondering what comes next, consider this your invitation to start your second climb, and I'll show you how through my iCope2Hope 3-Step Resilience Framework. Step one, develop a growth mindset to embrace change before you rush into what's next. Pause, take a breath. Ask yourself what still feels meaningful even after everything changed. What drains me now that once energized me? What do I miss That has nothing to do with success? Reflection clears the noise so you can hear the whispers of what truly matters. This is where a growth mindset begins. It's not about pretending everything's fine. It's about seeing challenges not as dead ends, but as data. The value and punishment, it's preparation, Each setback, holds clues about what needs to change and what's worth keeping. You can't start your second climb until you understand why the first one no longer fits. So instead of asking, why me try asking, what is this trying to teach me? That simple shift changes everything. Step two, discover your superpowers to overcome challenges. People who rediscover purpose often describe a moment when they felt called, not always in a loud or dramatic way. Sometimes it's just a quiet tug. Maybe you feel peaceful when you're helping others. Maybe you lose track of time when you're creating. Maybe you feel useful when you're mentoring or volunteering. Those moments are clues. They point to your superpowers, your natural strengths and gifts that make you feel alive. After loss, your confidence may shrink, but your strengths haven't disappeared. They've just been buried under survival mode. Dust them off. Use them in small everyday ways. Volunteer, create something Write. Cook for a friend, mentor someone going through what you've survived. Each small act reconnects you to the energy that was always yours, and that's how momentum builds one aligned action at a time. You don't have to see the whole path. You just take the next step in front of you. Step three, think outside the box to uncover opportunities. Meaning doesn't live in isolation, it grows in service. Serving others isn't about self-sacrifice. It's about connection. It might look like mentoring someone who's just started their recovery journey, using your creative gifts to brighten someone's day. Sharing your story so someone else knows they're not alone. When you give you heal service transforms pain into purpose, and when you align your service with your values, your life begins to make sense again. That's the moment you stop striving and start belonging. In my book, Flourishing After Adversity, I wrote that fulfillment isn't about constant happiness. It's about living true to your values. David Brooks echoes that truth in his book. The Second Mountain. When your actions match your beliefs, life feels steady. So try this. Write down your top three values. Then look at your week. Do your calendar and your values match? If not, that's your starting point. Each small choice that reflects your values, whether it's rest, generosity, or honesty, builds a sense of integrity and peace. Purpose grows in that alignment. Here's something most people don't realize. Purpose isn't a single discovery. It's a relationship that deepens over time. The second mountain doesn't end at the summit. It keeps expanding with every act of courage, love, and forgiveness. Maybe your purpose today is to heal tomorrow. It might be to help. Later to lead. You're not behind. You're in the valley, and the valley is where the next climb begins. So be patient with yourself. Your story isn't over. It's unfolding. A fulfilling life isn't about avoiding pain, it's about finding meaning within it. it's about letting your story, no matter how broken, become a bridge for someone else's healing. David Brooks writes, joy is not the absence of suffering, but the presence of love and that love lived out daily is your purpose. You may not have all the answers yet, but you have a heart that still beating and a story that still matters. That's more than enough to start your climb. Before we close, let's recap today's key takeaways. Pause before rebuilding. Reflect on what still feels meaningful and what no longer fits. Reconnect with your superpowers Notice what brings peace, energy, and purpose. Those moments reveal your natural strengths. Serve something larger than yourself. Align your values with small acts of kindness and service that gives your day's new meaning. Let purpose evolve. It's not fixed. It grows with you through each act of courage and compassion. If this episode spoke to you, maybe it's because you're standing at the base of your own second mountain ready to begin, but not sure where to start. You don't have to climb alone. Through my iCope2Hope 3-Step Resilience Framework, I help women rebuild confidence, find meaning, and rediscover joy after life-changing adversity. When you're ready, schedule a free 15 minute clarity call. Let's talk about how to turn your valley into the beginning of something new because the mountain ahead isn't punishment. It's your path back to purpose. And remember, adversity can make you bitter or better, choose better. You've got this!