It’s an amazing thing so many people just drift along in life. There must be some attraction to it I don’t see or understand. People drift through life for many reasons:
-don’t know any other way to live
-been beaten down by life so far
-caught up in repetitive systems of thought
-involved in a work or life culture w/no future
-can’t imagine or envision any other lifestyle
There is an alternative to drifting; having a MISSION in life.
Mission does several things for us:
-Gives a compass for life’s direction
-Provides an end goal to measure where we are now
-Helps us clearly define what our life is about
-Gives us something bigger than ourselves to live for
-Calls our hearts, minds, and lives to the best there is
Sit down when you have some solitude, have a stack of index cards or post-it notes and pens or pencils handy. If you’re a person of faith, pray for clarity and insight, ask God to help you in this journey.
Ask the question “what do I want”, in my life, faith, family, career, and write each want on an index card or post-it note. Take some time to do this, don’t rush it. One want on each piece of paper. After you’re finished, group the cards for similarities. Prioritize your wants.
Just two steps left:
On a piece of paper, write “I_____________” and fill in the blank with a verb. such as “I seek” or “I provide”. This verb represents what you DO in life.
Now, looking over your wants, is there an end goal, an “ultimate” person, or achievement that will fulfill your life once achieved? Complete the sentence with that.
Your life mission might then look like this:
“I seek to serve God each day”
“I provide best possible environments for my family”
You get the idea. These techniques are nothing new, they’ve been around for years and are best put together in the book “DO IT! – Let’s Get Off Our Buts” by Peter McWilliams. http://tr.im/s83k.
Best wishes, God bless you, do it-it’s worth it.
Cary Perks 