How do you find your purpose in life?
Donna Apidone is a writer, interviewer, and hose for NPR and PBS affiliates. For 20 years, she has taught TransForMission, a course about finding Purpose in life, at Sac State’s Renaissance Society and at congregations throughout the region. The course is based on her book, also titled TransForMission. Additionally, Ms. Apidone has worked with PBS KVIE since 2022. She writes and produces articles and segments for Abridged.org, California’s Heartland, and Inside California Education. Before that, she hosted Morning Edition, Midday Classical and CapRadio Reads for Capital Public Radio.
In this interview, Ms. Apidone shares her reflections on purpose, mission, and the inner work that guides a meaningful life. Ms. Apidone explores how purpose comes from within and is shaped by resilience, empathy, and our connection to others, as well as how it evolves over time. She explains the difference between purpose and mission, and why understanding both can lead to a richer, more intentional life. “Without purpose,” she says, “I am nothing. And I think that without purpose, other people aren’t quite anything either.”