Since last October, I’ve spent two hours each Thursday night with a group of guys in a “small group.” Our goal each time we meet is to get at the heart of who we are; what motivates us, what are our hopes, dreams, fears, etc. It’s an opportunity to talk and think about things that we might be quick to push aside otherwise. As we talk and listen, we learn things about ourselves, discovering new avenues for personal growth and finding encouragement to pursue our newfound goals.

In last night’s group, we spent most of our time talking about our jobs. We asked ourselves whether or not we find fulfillment and purpose in our work. Along the way, one of our members introduced the idea of how important it is for each of us to have our own “mission statements.” These mission statements help us define who we are and how we’re wired to interact in the world. For example, I think it’s my mission to create things for other people. I love building websites which help other people or companies express themselves.

We discovered that there was about a fifty-fifty split in our group between guys who were able to recognize their own personal mission statement and guys who could not. In fact, some of the guys mentioned they’d never even thought of this before. We came away from the group encouraged to think about “what makes us tick” and assess whether or not the way we’re living matches up with who we are. The profoundity of our conversation is what has me writing to you today, and as we continue, I’d like to get you thinking about your own mission statement. Continue Reading