Over the next three weeks, I’m breaking down one of the most important frameworks in my work:
Purpose = Faith + Love + Meaningful Work
Most people think purpose is about career only.
It’s not.
Purpose is built on three pillars:
• Faith — what anchors you
• Love — who surrounds and strengthens you
• Meaningful Work— how you express your gifts
When one of these pillars is weak, purpose feels heavy.
When they’re aligned, purpose feels powerful.
Today, we start with Faith.
The Purpose Formula Part 1: Faith
The Illusion of Control
There have been seasons in my life where everything felt fragile.
Seasons of fear and uncertainty where outcomes were completely outside my control.
Grief.
Health scares.
Parenting challenges.
Business risk.
Marriage tension.
Financial pressure.
On the outside, I showed up.
On the inside, I wrestled.
What if this falls apart?
What if I’m wrong?
What if I can’t fix this?
Here’s what I learned the hard way:
Control is an illusion.
We think if we plan enough, strategize enough, work hard enough, we can guarantee safety.
We can’t.
We don’t control outcomes.
We control attitude.
We control effort.
We control character.
Faith became the place where I laid down what I couldn’t carry.
Not because I was passive, but because I was exhausted trying to play God.
Surrender is not weakness. It’s clarity.
It’s the realization that gripping tighter doesn’t produce peace.
Letting go does.
Faith Has Carried Me
My faith has carried me through:
• The fear of the unknown in seasons where I couldn’t see the next step
• Seasons of grief and loss after the death of my mom and two dear friends
• Financial uncertainty after job loss
• Hard conversations in marriage
• Tough times while parenting
• The weight of leadership decisions
• The quiet anxiety no one else could see
In every one of those seasons, the still small voice was the same:
You are not alone.
I am with you.
Trust Me.
Without faith, those seasons would have broken me.
With faith, they shaped me into a better version of myself.
Faith didn’t remove the hardship.
It reframed it.
You Already Have Faith
Here’s the part we don’t often talk about:
Everyone has faith.
The question is — in what?
Some people put their faith in:
Their job
Their income
A relationship
Their health
Their reputation
Their ability to outwork the problem
But when those things shift — and they will — identity crumbles with them.
We have to be grounded in something secure.
Research highlights the benefits of being grounded in faith:
- A 2023 Pew Research study found that people who report strong religious faith are significantly more likely to describe their lives as meaningful and satisfying.
- Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program has found that regular spiritual practice correlates with lower rates of depression, greater resilience, and higher overall life satisfaction.
- Gallup data consistently shows that individuals who attend religious services weekly report higher emotional well-being and stronger community belonging than those who do not.
- The American Psychological Association has reported that people who believe in a higher power demonstrate greater stress tolerance and adaptive coping during crisis.
Why?
Because faith anchors you to something bigger than yourself.
And when life feels small, heavy, or chaotic, you remember this truth: you are not carrying it alone. The weight of the world is on His shoulders, not yours.
That’s what allows you to receive the peace that surpasses all understanding.
Faith Gives Depth to Purpose
Without faith, purpose becomes self-driven.
It’s about achievement.
Recognition.
Building something impressive.
With faith, purpose becomes stewardship.
It’s not:
“What can I prove?”
It becomes:
“What have I been entrusted with?”
That shift centers you and steadies you.
When you believe your life is part of something bigger than yourself, suffering doesn’t feel random. Success doesn’t feel ultimate. And setbacks don’t define you.
Faith reminds you: You are called, guided, and supported.
3 Ways to Strengthen The Faith Pillar
Identify What You’re Actually Trusting
When anxiety spikes, pause and ask:
“What am I putting my faith in right now?“
Is it:
• A specific outcome?
• Someone else’s approval?
• My ability to control the situation?
• Financial security?
Naming misplaced faith is the first step toward realignment.
2. Practice Daily Surrender
Faith is built in small, quiet moments.
Try this each morning:
“God, I give this day to You.
I release what I cannot control.
I surrender the outcomes into Your hands.
Lead me where You want me to go.”
3. Zoom Out
When fear feels loud, ask yourself:
What if this season is shaping me for something greater?
Faith widens your perspective.
It helps you see beyond the pressure of today and into the purpose being formed underneath it.
It reminds you that growth is often happening before clarity appears, that waiting is not wasted, and that your current struggle is not the whole story—it’s one chapter in a much larger one still being written.
How I Can Help
If you’ve been holding more than you were meant to carry and longing for clarity, peace, or direction about what comes next, this may be the moment to go a step deeper.
3 ways I can support you:
- Purchase my International Bestselling Book that goes through the framework that has helped 1,000+ coaching and executive clients. You can find more information HERE.
- Join the Powerhouse Women Network! Find more information HERE.
- Build a custom strategy to reach your goals without burning out or compromising your purpose. Find out more information on this FREE complimentary call.
Your turn to reflect a step further:
What are you putting your faith in right now?
And is it strong enough to hold you when everything shifts?
Write it down.
That’s your starting point.
Next week, we move to Part 2: Love.
Because who surrounds you matters just as much as what anchors
-Christi Cossette
