(Your future self just stopped by to ask me to thank you for reading this.)

I am on a mission.

A mission to kindle a fire inside you, to find the things that make you feel alive, and to help you set yourself on fire.

Welcome to the Meaning Movement. This is a blog and community of people pursuing deeper meaning in what they do. We’re people who believe that work is more than something you do just to get a paycheck— you have something to give and create and we want to help you create it.

If you have a desire to make an impact, dig deeper into your passions, and/or simply want help finding your way then this blog is for you!

I write about an article a week to inspire you to find your life’s work and dig deeper into the things you do. I’m always seeking to serve and help my readers. If you’d like to keep up with the blog, I’d invite you to subscribe. I’ll also send you a copy of my ebook The Meaning Manifesto: Foundational Truths for Work Worth Doing as a thank you.


My Story

My story is long and meandering, but there are poignant moments along the way where I sacrificed too much for what I was “supposed” to do. Call it conventional wisdom, call it society, call it playing it safe– I don’t care. In each of those moments, something died a little inside of me. I could tell by the hopelessness and depression that later set in. Alongside these moments there are other even more poignant moments where I woke up a little more to who I was made to be and where I took courageous and terrifying steps toward letting that person be known in the world.

It is because of these moments that I am on this mission– this mission to shake you awake to what really matters, to help you find where meaning and life intersect, and to inspire you to push into those places.

Dan and Stacia Cumberland

For a long time, I’ve had a hunch (which I have satisfactorily confirmed through much searching, many conversations, and a Master’s degree) that calling, vocation, and work worth doing are deeply connected to who we are, how we have come to be, and what we believe to be true about life, meaning, and God.

I am a creative, catalyst, collaborator. I am happiest when I’m making things and when I am helping others do the same. When I’m not writing, speaking, and working with people one-on-one, I am a photographer at Sparkfly Photography, a company I run with my resplendent and beautiful wife, Stacia.


My experience

Dan Cumberland

I have been helping people find their place and their work in the world since 2005, starting with high school students and then initiating and organizing groups and guest lectures in graduate school (I was given an award by my graduate school community for this work).

I began working professionally with clients one-on-one in 2011. Since then I have facilitated classes, taught, and spoken often on the topic at various events, schools, and forums.

My work has been featured in Fast Company, Entrepreneur Magazine, ​MSN, Yahoo, Career Building, the Chicago Tribune, US News and World Report, CBS Local, and more.


[contact-form-7 id="280" title="About Dan"]

Get Weekly Encouragement