Photo by Johnny Delos Santos |
I can do a lot of things but I’m not all that good in many
of them.
For example…
I’ve been playing the guitar for almost 30 years now. But every
time I play the guitar in our prayer meeting and I encounter a difficult chord,
I pretend to cough and skip to the easy chord.
At age 37 when I was preparing for my first art exhibit, I
suddenly realized that I was going through an identity crisis. I asked myself “What do I really want to be known as ?
Advertising creative director, literary writer, social science writer,
motivational speaker or painter ?“ I felt
that my many interests were pulling me in different directions that’s why I was
not excelling as much as I wanted to in any of them.
That night, I doodled my thoughts on a sheet of paper to see
where my various interests intersected. I realized that I had the ability to
inspire people in my Church talks. My friends said they have been lifted by
things I have written. Young people in the office said I was a very encouraging
person. Even my paintings were affecting people with a positive feeling. I
concluded that I could pursue various interests as long as they all had the
same inspirational effect on people.
From then on, I have been guided by my personal mission
statement which is “To use my creative
talents to inspire people to become the best that they can be. “
If you know your personal mission in life, it may be easier
for you to make choices and decisions. You would know what job is good for you,
what activities make good use of your time, what training to have, what will give you happiness.
It is possible that people who don’t know their purpose will
choose a job for the wrong reasons : salary and benefits, convenience, peer
pressure or parents’ wishes. They may have a trophy career but find a sense of
fulfilment elusive. Its rewards may increase the size of the ego but not the depth of happiness.
Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who counselled terminally ill patients. She learned that among the biggest regrets of the dying was not having lived the
life true to themselves.
So, how do you really want to live your life if you had a
choice ?
In the book The Path,
author Laurie Beth Jones wrote that “every mission implies that someone will be
helped. “ So, “to be a successful lawyer” is not a mission. A mission is
“ to keep good citizens free from
undeserved punishment.” “To be a great painter” is not a mission. A
mission is “ to paint the beauty of creation so that people will be grateful
for life. “
“To retire at fifty with lots of money” is not a bad thing. It's a good thing to aspire for. But it is not a good mission statement. If "to retire" is your purpose, you are probably not enjoying your journey.
To know the purpose you’d like to live for, it will be
helpful to ask yourself these questions : “ What is it that I’d love to do for
free ? What is it I do that affects people in a good way ? Who and what do I care for ? Who do I want to
help and how ? What will make me happy? “
( For step by step help, read Laurie Beth Jones’ The Path :
Creating Your Mission Statement for Work and for Life. )
If you don’t know the answers now, you may have them later
on if you just stay aware of the questions. I have a friend who was already in
his mid 40s when he discovered his exceptional talent in portrait photography. He is devoted to it. Maybe he is finally discovering his mission “ to help reveal the inner beauty of
people.”
Another friend was approaching his 50s when the company gave him the assignment to digitally restore classic films. He is so passionate about it that I think the mission statement appropriate for him is “ to ensure the artistic legacy of our country.”
Another friend was approaching his 50s when the company gave him the assignment to digitally restore classic films. He is so passionate about it that I think the mission statement appropriate for him is “ to ensure the artistic legacy of our country.”
Jones also said that it will be great if your personal
mission matches that of your employer. If not, you may become unmotivated, or
unhappy, or may even develop some illness. Many people settle for a job that
isn’t their dream job because they have to earn for the family. That’s okay.
But when they’ve already earned enough, I would suggest they go for what they really
like to do.
Where I work now, morale is higher than the norm. Many
people here love doing what the company hopes to achieve for the public it
serves. One of my officemates will be moved to another department. She’s sad about
leaving her friends. But she’s happy that her new role asks her to do exactly
what she wants in life which is to teach public school children through the
media.
I am grateful for my previous career. Much of what I know I learned from that profession. But my new job gives me more opportunities to fulfill my mission and to reap the emotional rewards. For example, I shed
tears of joy when people comment on Youtube that they are truly inspired by the
songs that I’ve written. They don’t even know my name. And that’s okay.
I would assume that you’re giving me permission to
publish your email ( if chosen) and my reply. Your identity will not be
disclosed.
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