Motivational Minute: Creating Your Own Personal Mission Statement

ABOUT ME, not again!

Ah heck … I mean really, again? Of course the fact that I’ve been asked to do so is
always a good thing. Why? It means that I have achieved a goal.

Whether it’s a stepping stone that moves me closer towards one of the top five acquisitions I’m currently focusing my ‘business woman’ energies on, or if it is the achievement
of one of the “Big Kahunas” itself; either way, it’s undeniably being written
because of the act of an achievement having been realized, and it’s a moment to
be celebrated and humbled by at the same time. 

While I may not enjoy it, I understand the purpose, of course. Whoever’s hiring you, promoting your work and so on, wants people to feel as though they know you. So we’re to help by writing a short piece that includes some personal data, work background and life experiences. The problem is YOU are to write about YOU and only YOU, so help YOU!

Personally speaking, no matter how many times I’ve participated in this exercise, I find it
challenging at best. I am the one who has to write these little ‘mini bios,' as
they’re all a bit different and tailored towards who I’m writing it for. Oddly
enough one of my top three favorite reads of all time is a book titled “It’s Not
About Me” by Max Lucado! Ironic don’t you think?

Ever had to write a piece like this about yourself? It’s awkward at best. I start out by trying to write a micro piece. You know, just a short little ditty about me by brushing the
basics. But then it always seems too vague. So then I begin to include my
certifications and achievements, my race results, my work experience, my
personal interests, my, my, my, yada, yada, etc. Before I know it, it’s a page
long and I am nauseated by the words I and ME!

So last week, I found myself once again, trying to navigate the rough waters of writing another “about me” piece for an exciting new opportunity without coming off completely “self aggrandizing!" It was during the middle of this torturous assignment that I
prefer to call “Hey everybody, LOOK AT ME," that I was hit in the head with a
‘brick’ of an idea. This particular cement to the forehead carried the message
that this experience was going to have to be turned into this week’s “Motivational Minute” blog post.

Why? Because in the process of writing another
“About me” memoire for something I was involved in, my mind went right to asking
myself, “what is it that’s Motivated ME to do the things I’ve needed to do and
make the choices I’ve had to make, that have brought me to the place where I’m
being asked to write multiple “About me” pieces?

 I was brought back to another place in time (back when I was only about
25), when I remember another brick to the head. But this boulder came with a
warning.

The warning was about my insatiable zest for life. It was as if I were
being told right then and there that I’d better make some wise decisions. These
decisions were not only about ‘getting after my desired goal’ of realizing my
many aspirations and passions; but more importantly, the decision to ‘choose’ to
place more of my focus on doing so in such a fashion, that I'd be proud of how I
went about it when it was all said and done!

If I neglected the latter, I’d never remain motivated, or successful in living out the abundant life I had set my sights on in the first place. After all, what would the accomplishments have
to offer, if I couldn’t be proud about how I’d conducted myself in the process of acquiring them?

At that moment, and ever since … I am constantly being reminded of one of my favorite sayings, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, yet lose his own soul”?(Mark 8:36 KJV Bible).

I realized that I was going to have to place some wise parameters around my crazy
desire to achieve the things I was passionate about. I reasoned that if had
chosen wisely, these parameters would bring me as close as humanly possible to
ensuring that I could keep my priorities in tact, while still experiencing and
expressing my passionate zeal for life. I was creating a yard stick if you will
and a standard to uphold.

It became a means of measuring whether or not I should grab a goal and run with it, or if by doing so, it was going to be at the expense of others. In which case, it was to be turned away … at least for the time being.

This way, I also found that I could turn away wrong or badly timed goals
without regrets on either end, which ultimately is the only way to truly live an
abundant life!! Choosing to set patrols on the borders of my passions in this
life was a lofty goal to be sure, but I’ve never shied away from a challenge. So
how was I to go about creating this character building contract?

I CREATED MY OWN PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT!

What’s my MISSION STATEMENT? After all that I have to say, it's rather short,
simple and to the point and, while I have strayed off course from time to time, it’s been this focus that has kept pulling me back to MY chosen course of
action, for living my life without regrets and for putting others before myself.

In the long run, or at least to date (which at almost 50 years and that’s a
pretty long run don’t ya think), it’s led me to a brilliant and blessed Abundant
life of LOVE and A PRECIOUS FAMILY DYNAMIC to which nothing else I could have
acquired could possibly have compared.

“Candace Grasso’s Personal Mission Statement for Life:"

My mission is to continue to do the things in this life that I am passionate
about. However, I will only do so, if and when these passions can be done with
this edict (my mission statement) in tact;

MY FAITH GETS THE BIGGEST PORTION OF MY TIME and ATTENTION! Next, of all the
things on this earth, my husband will come first in the order of my devotions
and the passions that work to gain my attention. No activity, accomplishment or
thrill will come before us. Last and by no means least, My children are the very
heart and soul of my existence. Nothing will ever get in the way of my
relationship to them and my duties as their mother/protector (and these duties
NEVER let up, they only change as the years go by, as I should I know. My
daughters are 26 and 28 years old and they are my two very best friends on the
planet—thanks be to GOD)! I am and will always be available to be their "go-to
person" for all things (especially anything sticky), in this life and that is a
tall order that I have LOVED ACHIEVING MORE THAN any other accomplishment that
might have been written about me if I had gone toward other desires first. Last,
I am a loyal friend. I choose my friendships over my own desires when they need
me first. I will be there! Achievements (no matter how grandiose), will never
be your closest friends …

SO, there’s my Motivational Minute for today and I have to ask, how about it?
Why not chose to make your own personal mission statement, or make a Family
Mission Statement together and get the kids in on the action as well. Create it
and frame it and put it on your wall. It’s never too soon to get the kids
involved in character building exercises such as these. Sometimes rules can be
our best friends. Ever noticed? Just a closing thought from “Coach Candace."

Until Next time … Power On,

Candace