I Am My Name

Do you ever think about how much power your name holds? Your name is not just a name that your parents gave you. Your name is not just something people call you. Your name is not just something to fill out on documents. Your name is how people will remember you.

Imagine going to the funeral of a loved one. You see the faces of friends and family you pass along the way. You feel the sorrow of losing, the joy of having known, that radiates from the hearts of the people there. As you walk down to the front of the room and look at the casket, you suddenly come face to face with yourself. As you take a seat and look at the program you see that there are four speakers - from parents, siblings, significant others, and friends. Now think deeply... what would you like each of these speakers to say about you and your life?

"At the end of the day people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel."

I love this quote by Maya Angelou because it holds so much meaning and importance to the power of our actions. In a book I read titled "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People", the author Steven Covey shares powerful lessons in personal change through learning the habits of highly effective people. One of those habits that I want to highlight is the idea of beginning with the end in mind.

What does that mean? To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you're going so that you better understand where you are now and so that they steps you take are always in the right direction. Begin today with the image of the end of your life as your frame of reference by which everything else is examined. Beginning with the end in mind allows you to have a clear vision of your life as a whole.

The author shares that the best way to begin with the end in mind is to develop a personal mission statement. It focuses on what you want to be (character) and to do (contributions and achievements) and on the values or principles upon which being and doing are based. Because we are all individually unique, a personal mission statement will not be the exact same as anyone else's.

Over the past year of my personal growth and development journey, I have created my own personal mission statement. I shared a post about vulnerability and by sharing my own personal mission statement, I believe that I will be able to help inspire someone else to write one for themselves.

Be kind.

Be genuine.

Love fully and wholeheartedly.

Spread kindness daily.

Keep a sense of humor.

Infect people with positivity.

Be a walking light.

Practice gratitude.

Be selfless through being compassionate and empathetic.

Be present.

Be intentional through my words and actions.

Be open to change, direction, and correction.

Be proactive and persistent.

Do not fear failure or mistakes - fear the absence of not trying.

Exercise your mind, body, and spirit daily.

Be a servant of Christ.

Show up as the best version of yourself each day.

To transform lives through the practice of Occupational Therapy.

Since I've developed a personal mission statement, I have noticed that it has helped me when making decisions in the midst of the circumstances and emotions that affect my life. It has helped me double check myself at any point throughout the day. Are my actions in line with my mission statement? Is there areas where I can improve on? These are a few mental questions I have found myself asking. A mission statement should be your own personal constitution for the life you want to live and for the person you want to be remembered as.

The mission statement you create for yourself should be something that those speakers will remember you as when speaking at your funeral. You only have one life and one name so why not make it something special?