Success Strategy Two: Life Purpose
Your Personal Mission Statement
Our mission is "riches for teachers." This includes a richness of energy so you can be an effective teacher and enjoy your life fully. A key aspect of your personal development and success is to know what it is you were put on this earth to do. This is your life purpose, or your personal mission statement.
Imagine the energy you will have, the lightness you will feel, as you wake each day knowing why you are here. This is a "heavy" topic indeed. Some people live their whole lives in search of their life purpose. Some people come to the realization one day that they have been living and working in opposition to their life purpose.
Why is this so important on your path to riches? As you move through the success strategies, you are laying a foundation for achieving all that you want in life. If you don't know what you want from your life, or are on a false path, you will either not get where you are going, or be disappointed when you reach a goal that really doesn't fulfill you and is not true to who you really are.
Finding your life purpose may take some effort, and time alone for reflection, to figure out. There are many roles that you play in life. Your mission statement is bigger than the roles you play. You may be a daughter, son, mother, father, teacher, athlete, or coach. While these may influence who you are, your personal mission statement is bigger than a role. A clearly defined mission statement will be your guide toward achieving your life's goals. There may be different roles you play on your way to achieving your goals but your life's purpose will be your guide.
Here are some examples of some "personal mission statements":
To leave the world a better place than I found it, for horses, and for people too. Monty Roberts (The Horse Whisperer)
One of my mentors, Jack Canfield, says his life purpose is:
To inspire and empower people to live their life in a context of love and joy.
Jack says he carries out this life purpose by, "...collecting and disseminating inspiring stories through the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series, and his inspirational speeches and workshops. (The Success Principles, 2005)
Here's mine:
To make the world a better place by helping children, and those who work with them and for them, realize their personal gifts and self-worth, so they will be empowered to achieve their life goals.
See how they differ from the roles we play? Your roles and your profession may change, but you will still be grounded in your personal mission statement.
Here are some steps to go about finding your life purpose and defining your personal mission statement.
Be patient. This is a process. Some people already know with certainty what their life purpose is. For others it may take years. However, just having an awareness as to what is important to you, will help you begin to understanding why you are here.
Your Action Steps:
Besides being aware, start to make some lists.
- What are a couple of positive qualities that you feel you possess? Write them down:
For example: Creativity, enthusiasm, outgoing, introspective, etc.
- Write down what you feel you are really good at. What unique qualities do you have? What do people compliment you on? These can be general or specific:
For example: Listening, teaching kids, connecting with kids, woodworking, reading, sewing, etc.
- How do you enjoy expressing your talents? Make a list of when you are feeling the happiest, most at peace, most fulfilled:
For example: When I see one of my students feel good about learning; when I am expressing myself through my artwork; when I am riding my bike, etc.
- Now consider if you didn't have to work for a living, what would you do with your time? What are you passionate about?
Sometimes we ask this question when interviewing new teachers, and most say they would be teaching in some way. Are they giving the answer they think we want to hear? Probably, but I also find that most in the teaching profession have a true desire to make life better for others.
And the next big question:
What does the ideal world look like to you? Write down what your ideal world looks and feels like to you.
And now your task is to look at your lists and try and combine them so they define your life purpose and act as your personal mission statement.
Look back at the examples of personal mission statements. You can see how a person's passions, talents and vision for the world can combine and become a guide in achieving your life's goals.
As I said, you may need to work on this over time. It really is important that you reflect on who you really are as a person before moving on to the goal setting exercises.
Take some time alone to meditate. Read some books on life purpose and life purpose exercises.
Some recommended: The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, by Deepak Chopra; A New Earth, by Eckart Tolle; The Success Principles, by Jack Canfield.
There are many, many books on this topic. Use them as guides, but remember, ultimately your life purpose is unique to you and must come from within YOU.
Decide upon your major definite purpose in life and then organize all your activities around it.
Brian Tracy
When you are clear about what you feel you were put on this earth to do you can start each day with energy, enthusiasm and confidence that you are on your chosen path.
Now you are ready to move to the next success strategy and
decide what you want in life.
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