Hello and welcome to Myth Busting Monday on the Choosing Happy Podcast.

Today.

It's a really interesting one.

I hadn't realized what an impact this would have on me, and I hope it has the same, if not a bigger impact on you.

Now here's a myth that sneaks into far too many heads, especially the ones with kind hearts.

Unless your purpose is grand, it's not worth pursuing.

We see it everywhere.

People chasing that one defining, life changing mission.

And missing all the quiet, everyday waves.

They've already been changing the world.

And here's the truth.

Your purpose doesn't need to roar.

Sometimes it needs to ripple.

And to find out more, stay with me for today's Choosing Happy Podcast.

The truth.

Small purpose, small acts.

Those are the ones that actually transform the ground beneath us.

They soften our hearts, steady our nervous system, and remind people that they matter.

When purpose stops needing applause, it starts to become real.

And I've come to realize that part of my purpose has always been to drop little nuggets of joy wherever I can.

Not the fireworks kind.

The kind that slips quietly into someone's day and makes it a fraction lighter.

I noticed it when I started this podcast.

A part of this podcast was through reading a book that changed my life.

It's a real old book written in the 50s called Getting the Best out of Life.

And those little hints, those little essays from a variety of famous people and not so famous people made a difference.

It's like the chicken soup for the soul books, the real stories that change our world.

And I noticed it years earlier, without even meaning to.

Like the time after my partner passed away.

A stranger, someone who'd lost her soulmate too, reached out.

And we met in London one afternoon and we swapped stories.

We cried, we laughed a little through the ache.

I never saw her again.

But she told me that conversation had made a difference.

She.

She thanked me for it.

And that it made her feel less alone.

In that moment, I understood something simple and enormous.

Sometimes purpose is just presence.

Then there was my London commute.

And I've mentioned this before, I had this daft little mission to get three people to smile.

Strangers on the tube, train guards, baristas, anyone.

And if you've ever lived in London, you'll know that's practically a public service miracle.

But every now and then, some someone's face would soften a tiny spark of connection.

I'd be thanked for making their day.

And that was my ripple.

And during my parents final years, they'd stopped really celebrating Christmas the way they had.

It was Too much effort.

They were too tired, too much hassle.

So I went all in with the tree, the music, the memories of when I was a kid wrapping up presents.

They didn't have to be big, but the fact that they were wrapped and they were surprises.

And for those few days, warmth came back to the house.

I cooked a huge Christmas meal.

And that was purpose, too.

And even simple moments.

A quick chat and laugh with a homeless man at a station.

He said it meant the world.

But I realized the truth.

It gave something to both of us.

None of those things were big purposes.

They weren't even things that I'd recognized as making a big difference.

But every one of them left a mark.

So the myth that purpose must be massive to matter.

The reality is small purposes sustain life.

The ones that water the roots while everyone else chases the sky.

That paying it forward in the queue, buying that coffee.

Myth two is that if it doesn't change the world, it doesn't count.

In reality, you're already changing the world through the tiny choices that ripple outward quietly and endlessly.

And myth three, that purpose is something we have to find.

The reality is purpose is something we live, often without even noticing.

And it reveals itself in hindsight, not in headlines like today's podcast.

For me, creating this episode today has made me aware of the pebbles of purpose I've shed unknowingly throughout my life.

And maybe that's true for you, too.

I'm welling up with the emotion because part of this episode was writing out where I made those tiny ripples of difference.

And it kind of was a surprise at how naturally I do that.

And I'd ask you to take a moment to think of your own small ripples.

The smiles, the kind words, the times you reached out or refused to give up.

That's purpose in motion.

You've been living it all along, probably without realizing it.

So here's your awareness experiment for the week.

Notice one small moment where you can sprinkle your light.

Whether it's a conversation, a text, sending a card, sending a simple thank you, or a simple act of kindness.

And do it consciously.

At the end of the day, pause and reflect.

If everyone did one small, purposeful thing today, what would the world feel like tomorrow?

Purpose doesn't have to be loud.

It doesn't have to win awards.

It just has to be yours.

Those little ripples you've sent out, the smiles, the kindness, the care, they're already shaping the world.

And if choosing happy helps you see that truth a little clearer, tap the buy me a coffee button and help me keep spreading these ripples each week.

And until next time, keep Choosing Happy.

Keep sprinkling your light, because small purposes create the kind of change that the world quietly depends on, especially today.

Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to this week's episode.

If you enjoyed it or think it would be valuable to others, please do share.

And if you really enjoyed it, please leave me a review.

It really helps the podcast.

All of the links are in the show notes and I look forward to seeing you next week on the Choosing Happy podcast.