Can I be honest with you about something? I have been there. Staring at goals that once excited me and feeling nothing. Going through the motions of activities that used to bring me joy and wondering where that spark went. Wondering if my sense of purpose had slipped away or if I was simply moving through a season of change.
If this resonates with you, if you are reading this and thinking, “Yes, this is exactly where I am,” I want you to know something important. Your spark is not gone. It is not broken. It is not lost forever. Sometimes it is just buried under the weight of exhaustion, overwhelm, and the relentless pace we have been keeping.
August carries an interesting energy. Summer is still here, yet we can feel the shift coming. Kids are preparing for school, fall projects are on the horizon, and there is an underlying pressure to make the most of these final weeks of summer. But what if, instead of pushing through, we used this time to gently tend to the flame within us that has been flickering?
In my last post, The Art of Letting Go: Summer Decluttering for Mind, Body and Soul, I shared how releasing what no longer serves us makes space for what truly brings us alive. This week, I want to build on that idea by exploring what happens when we realize our spark feels dim and how we can gently tend it back to life by reconnecting to purpose.
Understanding the Summer Slump
First, let us normalize something. Feeling burned out or disconnected in the middle of the year is incredibly common. We begin January with fire and determination. We push hard through spring, trying to keep the momentum going. By midsummer, many of us hit a wall.
This is not failure. This is human.
Our bodies and souls move through seasons just as nature does. Sometimes we are in a season of growth and high energy. Sometimes we are in a season of rest and restoration. And sometimes we are in that tender space between seasons, not quite dormant but not yet fully alive. That is okay too.
What I have learned through my own seasons of disconnection is that trying to force excitement usually backfires. I have learned that passion can ebb and flow, but purpose is the thread that carries me through. When I have felt disconnected, it was not about forcing myself to be excited again. It was about returning to my “why,” my sense of purpose. That is what steadied me until the spark returned.
Instead of pushing ourselves harder, we need to approach ourselves with the same gentleness we would show a dear friend who is struggling. If you’ve read my post on optimizing your strengths, you know that connecting back to what energizes us is a powerful way to find direction. The same applies here.
The Difference Between Rest and Burnout
Before we talk about reigniting your spark, it is important to distinguish between needing rest and experiencing burnout. Rest is restorative. Even when you are tired, there is still a sense of yourself underneath. You can find joy in small moments, still feel connected to your values, and imagine feeling excited about things again.
Burnout feels different. It is the emotional exhaustion that makes everything seem gray. It is cynicism about things that once mattered deeply. It is feeling disconnected not just from your work, but from yourself.
If you are in true burnout territory, please be extra gentle with yourself. The strategies I share here will still help, but you might need additional support from friends, professionals, or simply more time than you expect.
Small Ways to Tend Your Inner Flame
Start with curiosity, not pressure. Instead of asking, “Why do I not feel passionate about anything?” try asking, “What would feel nourishing right now?” Sometimes it is not about doing more, but about creating space for your soul to breathe.
Return to your values. Sometimes the flame feels dim because we have drifted from our purpose, the deeper meaning that fuels us. Reconnecting to your values and your “why” can shift everything. What principles have guided your best decisions? What do you stand for when everything else is stripped away?
Pay attention to what catches your eye. Notice what makes you pause while scrolling social media, what articles you save, what conversations energize you. Your soul leaves breadcrumbs that point you back to your purpose.
Try the “5 percent better” approach. Instead of expecting to feel completely renewed overnight, ask yourself what would make today just a little more aligned with who you want to be. Maybe it is five minutes of creativity, reaching out to someone who inspires you or simply sitting outside without your phone.
Practical Steps to Reconnect with Purpose
Create a purpose inventory. Make a list of what has ever felt meaningful, even if it feels distant now. Include childhood dreams, past hobbies, career aspirations, volunteer experiences, travel destinations. Do not judge what comes up. Just capture it.
Experiment with micro-explorations. Choose three things from your inventory and spend just fifteen minutes exploring each one this week. Read an article, watch a video, visit a website, or simply daydream about it. This is not about commitment. It is about giving yourself permission to explore.
Connect with purposeful people. Energy is contagious. Spend time with people who are excited about their calling or the work they love. Their enthusiasm can remind you of what alignment feels like and awaken the possibility within you.
Document small moments of meaning. Notice throughout your day when you feel even slightly more alive or more grounded in your values. Write these down. Over time, you will see patterns that guide you toward deeper alignment.
Give yourself permission to evolve. What once felt meaningful may not fit this season of your life, and that is perfectly natural. The goals that once energized you may no longer align with who you are becoming. That is not loss, it is growth. Purpose does not stay frozen in time. It expands as you do.
Working Through Purpose Blocks
“I do not have time.” Begin with five-minute investments. Can you read one page while drinking coffee? Listen to a podcast on your commute? These touches with meaningful things can open doors to bigger shifts.
“My purpose does not feel practical.” Who says it has to be? Purpose is about meaning, not productivity. Some of the most soul-nourishing pursuits have nothing to do with career advancement.
“I am scared I will fail.” What if success was not the goal? What if the aim was simply to experience the joy of trying? Exploration itself is a form of alignment.
“I do not know what my purpose is anymore.” That is okay. Purpose is not always a lightning bolt. Sometimes it reveals itself slowly, like a steady light that grows brighter the more attention you give it.
Your Spark Reignition Plan
Think of purpose as the compass that guides your spark. Sometimes it blazes brightly, sometimes it glows quietly, and sometimes it feels like it has gone out. But even when the flame seems faint, there are always embers waiting to be stirred back to life.
It begins with noticing what feels nourishing right now. Maybe it is laughter, a conversation that lifts you, or a curiosity that keeps tugging at your thoughts. These are your kindling.
Allow yourself to experiment gently. Try one small thing that feels aligned. Not because it has to be big, but because it invites you back into exploration.
And then, give your spark room to breathe. Share what inspires you with someone you trust. Celebrate even the smallest flicker. Let it be enough that you are tending to yourself with care. Over time, those embers grow into a steady flame that feels both new and familiar.
The Truth About Reconnecting to Purpose
Purpose is not a one-time discovery. It is something we live into, cultivate and realign with through attention and care. Passion may ebb and flow, but purpose steadies us when the fire feels dim.
Your spark may change, but your purpose remains. It evolves with you. When you reconnect with it, the flame does not just return, it burns steadier and brighter. Your spark may look different now. It may burn for different things or in different seasons. That does not make it less valuable. It makes it authentically yours.
Some days tending your inner flame looks like diving into a project with energy. Other days it looks like holding onto the faith that your spark will return. Both are valid. Both are acts of courage.
The Ripple Effect
When you reconnect with your own purpose, you give others permission to do the same. When you live with curiosity and alignment, you create space for those around you to do what lights them up.
Your purpose matters. Not only for what you may create or achieve, but for who you become in the process of honoring what is meaningful. The world needs people who are awake to their purpose, who tend their inner flame with care.
That person is you. That flame is yours. And it is never too late to add kindling.
What is one small way you could tend to your purpose this week? I believe in your ability to reconnect with what matters most, and I would love to hear about your journey.