“The Boy Scouts of America will
prepare every eligible youth in America to become a responsible, participating
citizen and leader who is guided by the Scout Oath and the Scout Law.” – Boy Scouts of America vision
statement
Author,
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) made this statement: "An aim in life is
the only fortune worth finding; and it is not to be found in foreign lands, but
in the heart itself." Every person
has a mission to fulfill. Every
business, church or organization has a mission or purpose to achieve. Human kind is made in such a way that without
the awareness of our purpose in life, we become disorientated and
discouraged. Many have lost their will
to live simply because they found nothing to live for.
Have you ever written out a
personal mission statement? This is a
short, yet descriptive statement of what you believe you are meant to do in
life. In business and in organizations,
mission statements are common place, but even then, do people know what they
are. Think about it. Can you, right now without searching for it,
recite the mission statement of the company you work for, the church you attend
or the organizations you belong too? How
can you achieve their goals if you do not know what they are?
This is even more important when
it comes to you personal purpose. What
is it that you believe you are here to do?
If you allow me, I would like to share my personal mission statement
with you. I designed this several years
ago after attending a seminar where this principle was taught. It took me many days to get it right, but I
have not changed it and I strive to achieve it every day:
"To be a consistent example and
teacher of personal excellence and leadership skills. To live a life that will show the reality of
Jesus Christ in the life of a believer."
When I am setting goals,
creating action plans and looking at my future, this is my starting point. If I stray from this, I know I am heading in
the wrong direction, no matter how good it may seem. Your mission statement is your anchor, and
your road map.
If you have not made a personal
mission statement, here are some tips on doing this. First, please understand, you will not really
do this in a few minutes. This can take
days, maybe months to get it right. What
is right? Right is where you know inside
that this is what you are meant to do.
It is creating something that is narrow enough to give you direction and
guidelines, yet broad enough to allow you to be creative and expand in the
future.
What do you love to do?
Your purpose will not be something you hate. It is your dream, your passion and your
life. You may not have been in a place
to fully do this yet, but you still can.
What are your strengths?
Do not waste time trying to be strong in areas that you are weak. Find where are you already strong and build
on that. What do you do well?
How will this affect others?
Remember, your purpose is not just to make you feel good and give you
the things you want. You are here for
others first. If you mission does not
make the lives of others better, you are missing the point.
On your first try you may have a
full paragraph or even a page to work with.
In the end you want to bring it down to one or two sentences. You can use the two statements above (mine
and the BSA) but do not copy them. This
must be your purpose, your statement.
You matter! You matter to the world and to yourself. Remember to be your best, love God, have good
manners, achieve the unknown and change your world.
John Patrick Hickey is an author,
speaker, Life Coach and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or
to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or
group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.
© 2014 John
Patrick Hickey
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