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Show Volume XX Issue X The Ogden Valley news Page 11 June 15, 2012 Discover Your Personal Mission: An article review By Forrest Brown For the past several years, I have written book reviews for The Ogden Valley News, and I sincerely appreciate our local newspaper for allowing me an avenue to publish reviews of some of the great books that have impressed me over the last five to six years. This month, I felt inspired to write about an article instead of a book. The article is “Life on Purpose: 15 Questions to Discover Your Personal Mission” by Tina Su. One of the first things I always do before I read a book or an article is to examine the bio of the author. I was completely amazed at what this author has accomplished. In short, she is a mom, a wife, a lover of Apple products, and a CHO (Chief Happiness Office). Ms. Su is obsessed with encouraging and empowering people to lead conscious and happy lives. Wow! Not your typical soccer mom that dreads getting up in the morning. Why would we care about our own personal mission statement? Can’t we just do the things we do every day and go on with life? Without a mission or a purpose in life, we are like the ship without a rudder being moved not by our power, but by the winds of life from one situation to another, feeling completely helpless most of time. Ms. Su states, “I believe that we were all sent here for a reason and that we all have significance in the world. I genuinely feel that we are all blessed with unique gifts. The expression of our gifts contributes to a cause greater than ourselves.” This powerful statement can help guide us as we work towards a personal mission statement of our own. Join me in this journey to become a better person. First, let’s get some more background on Tina Su in order to understand where she came from and where she is at now. In her own words, she says, “Last year I was running at full speed, chasing after my dream of money and success. However, I had forgotten why I was running. Luckily, I met Jim (not his real name). Jim had achieved all the financial goals that I was reaching for. He had financial independence, several successful businesses, homes in multiple countries, and the luxury to afford the finest things money could buy. Through hard work, persistence, and sheer action, he had made it! But, Jim was not happy. He did not have the free time to enjoy his wealth. He wanted a family. He wanted peace. He wanted to live his life, but he was not able to. He had too many responsibilities, too much to lose, and too many things to protect. He had spent years building his castle, and now that it was complete, he was spending all his time keeping it from eroding. Getting to know Jim was a life-altering and eye-opening experience. His words snapped me out of my state of unconsciousness. It became clear to me that I did not want to spend the next ten years chasing after money, only to find that I’ll be back at the same place I am at today, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. My chase came to a screeching halt, everything was put on hold, and I spent the next two months re-evaluating my life and my purpose.” The following questions kept running through Tina’s mind: What am I chasing after? Why am I chasing it? What is my purpose? Why was I put here? Most of us are busy, but I do think we do reflect and ask ourselves these kinds of questions at different times in our lives. Humans typically have an internal quest to seek for real purpose and meaning to their existence. Some, like Ms. Tu, pay the price and find out what their inner self is seeking, while the majority of us just keep on living the way we have always lived. During her quest for purpose, Ms. Tu says that while she was reading Michael Gerber’s E-Myth, Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work, she noted that the author, in the chapter on finding purpose, asked his readers to do a visualization exercise. Through his guidance, he instructs the reader “to vividly picture the day of your funeral and what you want your eulogy to consist of? What would matter the most at the end of your life? Is that what you are doing right NOW?” She says, “I started writing. I began by listing all the things that are most important to me. I wrote down all the things I wanted to do. I re-visited my personal mission statement (and) decided that whatever venture I commit to do must align with my personal mission statement, my values, and my goals . . . . For every new opportunity that comes along, I will ask myself how it aligns with my goals regardless of how much money I acquire, if the venture did not align with where I wanted to be, then I would not pursue it.” This is POWERFUL! I have tried this several times and it is hard to do. You have to be persistent and not give up or think that it is not an important effort. Once Ms. Tu had gotten through all this, she was then able to formulate her personal mission statement, which is, “To empower, motivate, and inspire people to living happier and more fulfilling lives.” It is very motivating and should inspire all of us to pursue a similar activity. Next, she spent time to write down some clear and concise values and goal statements, which include: What matters most is my connection with myself, being present and feeling blissful. What I value most is having meaningful relationships with people and connecting on a deep level. I plan to be financially independent and have control of my time and location. I plan to work only on projects and causes that I connect with. I plan to acquire finances without violating my values, goals, and personal mission. I plan to travel and live in different parts of the world experiencing different cultures and documenting the experience in photographs and then sharing my experiences with others. I will buy my mom a house in Vancouver with a ravine in the backyard (a dream of hers that I would like to fulfill). Having a family is important to me and I desire a deep, loving relationship with my spouse. To live everyday fully as if it were my last. What an incredible and well-thought-out set of goals and values Ms. Su has developed for herself! It takes time and, typically, some of your desired goals may change over time, but just as a ship needs a compass to navigate the stormy waters, we need a written mission statement to guide us in our lives. It is never too late to develop a set of goals and/or a personal mission statement. Steven R. Covey says that there are three basic steps in developing a personal mission statement: John W. Reynolds It’s About Spirit! morale. By putting your belief in America to work, you’ll have a positive impact on the challenges facing our country. You can participate in two ways: first, by writing an essay on the subject—Our AmericanDo Spirit and; and second, by becoming a sponsor by contributing to the project so more people can be rewarded for their good essays. Many of us receive dozens of requests every month to donate to various causes. Often you don’t learn much about how the money was spent or even whether it made any difference. Contributions to Our AmeriCAN-Do Project will stay here along the Wasatch Front and be used to give awards to people (possibly you or a neighbor) who write the winning AmeriCAN-Do essays. Winning essays will be published in local newspapers in hopes that they will inspire others. We all have heroes in our lives, someone who has demonstrated special qualities that we admire. Whether it’s someone we have known personally or a historical figure whose life has been inspirational to us. A personal hero of mine is an uncle who had a can-do spirit. He grew up during the Great Depression, served in the 101st Airborne at Normandy on D-Day and in the Battle of the Bulge; later he served in Korea. Uncle “Son,” Ernest G. King, survived a couple of battlefield injuries, returned home to his wife and family, and raised seven children. I’m sure you have heroes of your own who demonstrated a can-do spirit. Why not share your story; you may win a cash award or simply feel the pride of putting into words how you feel about someone very special. You may even inspire someone whose belief in America needs a boost. This is about spirit. When I think of spirit I recall going to my son’s high school basketball games and hearing the cheerleaders yell, “We’ve got SPIRIT yes we, DO. We’ve got SPIRIT how about YOU?” They would direct the challenge to the fans of the opposing team. The question is still relevant today –have we got spirit? Perhaps no other word in the English language carries more mystique than the word “spirit.” A definition of the word affirms this: “The animating principle of life; a supernatural incorporeal being.” The word is assigned to many aspects of life such as school spirit, entrepreneurial spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Great Spirit, team spirit, the spirit of ’76, spirit of St Louis, pioneer spirit, esprit de corps, adventurous spirit, free spirit, patriotic spirit, family spirit, spirit of the law, neighborly spirit, spirit of America, even evil spirit. Our AmeriCAN-Do spirit has played a key role in making this country what it is today. There have been times in our history when we have lacked believing in ourselves and needed a big dose of “can-do spirit.” It seems that now is one of those times, as we are bombarded with challenge after challenge to keep our country strong. Your personal belief in AmeriCAN-Do spirit will be useful in generating the same belief in others who may not be feeling positive about America’s future. The AMERICAN-DO SPIRIT PROJECT offers an opportunity to par1. Determine you structure – visions, goals, and ticipate in something that will bolster American desirable behaviors 2. Finding your values – admiration, roles, RED FOX cont. from page 1 has overtaken several, once active fox dens. dreams, happiness Increasing morning and evening commuter traf3. Determining your principles from your values mals. As cute as they are, they are still wild ani- fic also poses quite a hazard to the animals, and mals and should not be approached. Remember, fox being struck on the highways has become Now, here are the fifteen questions that the young rely on their parents for not an uncommon occurrence in Tina Su suggests that will help us discover our survival and humans approaching the valley. Litters also face death personal mission statement. Before you answer den sites will hinder the feeding by ranchers worried about the each of the questions, she suggests the follow- efforts of the parents. possible negative impact of the ing; take out a few sheets of loose paper and a Respect the fox, also, as they fox on their range. Such is the pen, find a place where you will not be inter- provide a valuable service to the reality that our red-furred neighrupted, and turn of your cell phone. As you read environment. They are true omnibor must face each day. each question, write now the first thing that pops vores, which mean they eat pretty So sit off at a distance, break into your head, giving yourself about one minute much anything. Their main food out the binoculars or viewing per question. Be honest, since no one else will source is the abundant field mice, scopes, and enjoy the wonderful read your answers. Enjoy the moment and smile but they also enjoy carrion, berries, sights of the kits as they sun and as you write. The fifteen questions are: grasshoppers, and, yes, even bird play. eggs. Fox populations seem to vary 1. What makes you smile? (Activities, people, in the valley year-to-year, probably Note: Photos and article are events, hobbies, projects, etc.) based on the availability of food, by Jim Huddle. Huddle states that 2. What were your favorite things to do in the harshness of the winter, competing animal species, he typically uses a 800mm lens to photograph past? What about now? habitat encroachment, and rancher intervention. wildlife, which allows him the close-up shots 3. What activities make you lose track of time? Life is not easy for the little red fox. while maintaining a fair distance from the ani4. What makes you feel great about yourself? Over the years, development in the valley mals so as not to stress them. 5. Who inspires you most? (Anyone you know or do not know: family, friends, authors, artists, leaders, etc.) Which qualities inspire you in each person? 6. What are you naturally good at? (Skills, abilities, gifts, etc.) 7. What do people typically ask you for help in? 8. If you had to teach something, what would you teach? 9. What would you regret not fully doing, being, or having in your life? 10. You are now 90 years old, sitting on a rocking chair outside on your porch; you can feel the spring breeze gently brushing against ESSAY CONTEST your face. You are blissful and happy, and are pleased with the wonderful life you’ve been WRlTE ABOUT IT AND WIN! blessed with. Looking back at your life and all that you’ve achieved and all the relationships YOUR UNIQUE SENSE OF AMERICAN SPIRIT can win you money and you’ve developed, what matters to you the most? List them out. recognition! Just write in your own words what Our American Spirit means to you 11. What are your deepest values? in 500 WORDS or less, and send it with an official entry form to: OUR 12. What were some challenges, difficulAMERICAN-DO SPIRIT ESSAY CONTEST c/o John Reynolds, 28 White Barn Dr., ties, and hardships you’ve overcome, or are in Pleasant View, UT 84414. Entries must be received no later than JULY 24, 2012. the process of overcoming? How did you do it? 13. What causes do you strongly believe in? That’s The Spirit Bonus - Entries received by July 4th (Independence Day) will receive a 5 point bonus. Connect with? AWARDS FOR FIRST PLACE BY AGE AND GENDER 14. If you could get a message across to a large group of people, who would those people There are three age groups for men and women: Ages 16 to 29, 30 to 55, & 56+ be? What would your message be? First Place Awards of $236.76 each for three men and three women will be 15. Given your talents, passions, and values, given, a total of $1420.56. In addition, each winner will receive a Freedom Library how could you use these resources to serve, to set of biographic books about the lives of American Heroes. help, to contribute? (To people, beings, causes, organizations, environment, planet, etc.) Awards to be announced at Constitution Day and Patriots Day Ceremonies in In summary, most of us are busy with September 2012. Winners will be invited to participate at these events. what life continues to give us. The ones who Winning essays will be featured in area newspapers. ultimately do the best through all of life’s challenges are the ones who, like Tina Su, embrace CONTEST BEGINS JUNE 14, (FLAG DAY) Entry forms available at the Smith & Edwards store and life with a predetermined set of values and various locations throughout the area. For a location near you, contact John Reynolds @ 801-782-8077. goals. Just like Ms. Su, we can learn a lot from our past experiences and from those Sponsored by The AmeriCAN-DO Spirit Project Committee. who have gone before us. It is up to us to set our course. Take the step, read the article, OUR AMERICAN-DO SPIRIT ESSAY CONTEST ENTRY FORM and let me know what you think. Emails me Please complete all lines. at <brownfamily09@msn.com> Your Name (First, M & Last)_____________________________Birth date__________ Home Address, City, State, Street, zip_________________________________________ E-mail address_________________________Phone #_________________________ Profession or School___________________________________________ Please check one age group and gender. Age __16 -29 : ___30 -55:___56+ : Male___Female__ How did you hear of this contest?________________________________________ Date you completed your essay____________Date mailed or delivered___________ Deadline for entries –July 24, 2012 That’s The Spirit Bonus Deadline –July 4, 2012 I have read and understand the contest rules shown below & confirm that it is my own work. Your Signature________________________________________ Date________________________ OUR AMERICAN-DO SPIRIT GOT SPIRIT? Please attach the entry form to the upper left corner of your essay. Your name and address must be shown at the bottom of essay. Mail your essay and this entry form to: “Our American-Do Spirit Essay Contest”, C/O John Reynolds, 28 White Barn Dr. Pleasant View, UT. 84414 Those who wish to support the essay contest but don’t want to write an essay may do so by sending a contribution to the same address above. Thank you! Saint Joseph Catholic Elementary, Middle School, and High School Providing a challenging, college-focused education in the proven tradition of Catholic schools, for the families of the Ogden Valley. We want to teach your children! For information on our program, financial assistance, tours, or application, please call Daniela Quintana at 801-814-8192 or 801-393-6051. CONTEST RULES (keep for reference): Essay must not exceed 500 words in length; double spaced in 11 or 12 point font, clearly readable such as Calibri, Cambria, or Times. Any reference sources used must be listed on a separate page and attached to your essay; sources may be a person, book, magazine, newsletter, movie, video, web site, or others that were helpful to you in writing your essay. Clearly list the title of your work at the beginning, the title is whatever you choose to give it. Essay must be about REAL PEOPLE and/or EVENTS. Essays will be evaluated based on five criteria which carry the following values: 10 POINTS each for READABILITY, LOGIC, GRASP of SUBJECT, AND CLARITY; WITH 5 POINTS FOR ORIGINALITY. ALSO, a 5 POINT BONUS (That’s The Spirit) will be ADDED to all essays received by JULY 4TH, 2012. Decisions of the Judges are final. All essays become the property of Our AmeriCAN-Do Spirit Project, please make a copy of your essay for your records. |