a mission not so impossible?

For the past few years I've been trying to nail down an important concept in bringing order to my life. In theory, this concept is supposed to be my roadmap, although not necessarily with regards to career or family, but rather in regards to personal development. It's based on principles and values but also infers hopes and dreams. What could this possibly be? A Mission Statement. Oh yes, yet another Franklin Covey tool to help people become confident and happy with the direction their life takes. I'm not certain that my mission statement is entirely on the mark, but I figure it's okay for a first draft.

1. To leave a legacy of education and hope... Why? I don't know. I like learning new things and tend to lecture on topics of great interest to me. I didn't realize how often I did that until my sister informed me about it. (Sorry kiddo...I try to bite my tongue now.) I also like to see other people learn new things and I like teaching them, but I don't have the patience to be in a teaching career.

2. To create something that will endure in "everlastingness"... This is based off one of my favorite quotes. "The task and potential greatness of mortals lie in their ability to produce things - works and deeds and words - which would deserve to be at home in everlastingness." ~Hannah Arendt, The Human Condition There's something about leaving your mark in the world that appeals to me.

3. To be someone who can be spoken about with respect and kindness... I try to respect other people and always behave with consideration and kindness. There are times, though, when people are continually disrespectful to me so I occasionally feel challenged by this one. It's a work in progress.

4. To appreciate opportunities and friendships offered to me... I can be short with people when I'm stressed or in a hurry so it's taken some effort for me to take a step back and adjust my attitude when I'm approached with a new opportunity (even if I don't have time to take another obligation into my schedule) or friendship.

5. To work harder to overcome obstacles... I used to give up too easily. Now I get stubborn. :)

6. To learn from my mistakes, recognize my faults and work to change myself... This was a big one. I hate it when I don't learn the lesson the first time.

7. To live my life by my beliefs and values... Other than sunday school as a child (better referred to as play time), I wasn't raised in a religious household. My mother has faith and I think she despairs of my lack of faith, but I've come up with my own code of "commandments" over the years. Any possibility that I would have found religion in college was smooshed by my chosen field - anthropology. I view religion from the role of scientific observer rather than someone of devout faith. It just makes more sense to me. (Sorry Mom, don't count on that changing. )

So, this is my little set of guidelines that I'm supposed to review daily and therefore keep my life on track. Yeah right! I should probably work on it some more, but it's difficult to pinpoint what you want to do in life when you have so many conflicting hobbies and interests. I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up!