Most advice on finding your purpose doesn’t tell you this, but sometimes, it is only found between the rubble of a crisis.

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Seneca

If you're eager to find your purpose, there's no shortage of guides. There are oceans of guaranteed advice. But when they don't deliver quick results, you wouldn't be the first to feel disillusioned.

You might not like what I’m about to propose, but the truth is that the most meaningful purpose is often discovered in hardship. It’s only when you're yanked out of your comfort zone that you can truly act on what’s been quietly brewing beneath the surface.

A crisis often forces you to act and reveals the path forward.

That doesn't mean you should fall into apathy, waiting for lightning to strike. That way, you’d spend your whole life waiting. But when that moment comes, you need to be ready to seize it.

As Seneca said, "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” These moments aren't random—they're earned.

I know this from experience. Everything changed for me in 2011 when I read an article in Time Magazine about energy poverty. In that moment, I decided to devote my energy to solving this issue.

But this isn't the whole story. My journey with energy poverty started long before 2011. I experienced it earlier, albeit without fully comprehending it.

The Unseen Forces That Shape Our Life’s Mission

As a young man, in my early 20s, I travelled through many countries before landing in Australia and settling down. In remote parts of Africa and Southeast Asia, I saw how communities lived without energy access.

Fetching water in buckets, cooking on open fires, and relying on kerosene lanterns were all part of daily life.

It was simply their reality; they made do and adapted. Survival shaped by necessity.

"Suddenly, I truly understood the millions living in literal darkness—because I was trapped in my own."

At the time, I simply accepted it as part of their way of life.

I had no idea that the smoke from cooking and kerosene lamps was more toxic than the polluted air of industrial cities. I didn’t see that fetching firewood and walking kilometres for water stole time from education and work.

I didn't realise that poor access to energy meant hospitals couldn’t refrigerate vaccines or power life-saving equipment. That it was forcing doctors to perform procedures with torches clenched between their teeth.

Eventually, I settled in Australia. There, this harsh reality grew faint and routine life took over. It was a formative experience, but then I got married, became a dad, and had to focus on work.

Not Every Path Is Paved: Finding Meaning Through Entropy

Fast forward to 2011, when I read the Time magazine article that described energy poverty as the world's worst form of poverty. I was appalled at myself for not realising this sooner. It shook me—emotionally, spiritually, and even physically.

But let’s take a step back for a moment...

Had I read that article in my 20s, it likely wouldn’t have affected me the same way. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to act the way that I did.

I wouldn’t have had the knowledge, experience, or resources to fully dedicate myself to this cause. I wouldn’t have become a father, an experience that taught me a profound love for children everywhere; love that drove me to act and ensure they have the best opportunities to improve their situation.

If I had read the article sooner, I probably wouldn't have acted on it and SolarBuddy wouldn’t exist today.

Purpose Doesn’t Always Knock—Sometimes It Comes Crashing Through

So, where does the crisis fit into all this?

As it happens, life threw me a curveball. I was separated from my children, staying alone in my house, lost. This sent me spiralling down into misery and mental health issues.

It was during this time that I stumbled upon the Time magazine article. And it hit me harder than I ever expected.

"What I’ve come to realise is that crises aren’t just obstacles; they can be opportunities in disguise."

Suddenly, I truly understood the millions living in literal darkness—because I was trapped in my own.

Helping others out of that darkness gave me the strength to climb out of mine. It became the vehicle I desperately needed. Some might call it self-serving, but if it results in positive change, I'm willing to accept that.

The truth is that everything I had experienced—my skills, resources, and lessons—prepared me to find my purpose. But without the crisis, it wouldn’t have led to what it did. It was the spark that set everything in motion.

The Gift Wrapped in Chaos

Crises are something we instinctively fear. We frame them as threats to be avoided.

But what I’ve come to realise is that crises aren’t just obstacles; they can be opportunities in disguise.

They can be invaluable, forcing us to rebuild and reimagine the future. They often spark partnerships and alliances that might never have formed under normal circumstances. They become the push we didn’t realise we needed.

Sometimes, a crisis is exactly what reveals your true calling. And it may ignite a chain of events that leads to something bigger than you ever imagined.

- Simon

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The Hidden Purpose Formula: How Crisis Creates Opportunity