Mojo Monday ~ Personal Mission Statement

Last night while neck deep in writing my latest Cosmic Cowgirls Magazine article I came across something that made me pause and note it down in my journal.  I had been visiting the web site of artist and author Kelly Rae Roberts.  I have been an admirer of her art for several years now and I adored her book called Taking Flight: Inspiration and Techniques to give your Creative Spirit Wings.  I have one of her prints hanging in the living room and I have given many items from her art collection as gifts.  The thing that made me stop and pause was her simple, yet very powerful Mission Statement that was tucked into the side panel of her web page:

"My mission is to create beautiful,
meaningful artwork that tells the truth."

I loved the focus, the honesty and the sheer simplicity of it.  I had an article to keep writing, but I knew I wanted to return to this topic and this idea of writing a Personal Mission Statement.  Now, this isn't a new idea.  In fact if you do a search on-line for that very topic you will find all sort of cool articles, blog posts and creative artistic renditions of these intimate statements of purpose.  

If someone was to ask YOU, "What is your personal missions statement?"  Would you even know where to begin or would you very matter-of-factly proclaim it, because you just happen to know your mission by heart?  

by Courtney Mellinger

If you are still contemplating yours, consider following these step-by-step guidelines by Courtney Mellinger on her web site called BlogGraphicDesignPortfolio.

1. Create a list of words that describe you. These should be aspects of you that you’re proud of. They could relate to your personality, your relationships, your profession, your religion, etc. The great thing is, it’s all about you so you can focus on anything you want.
2. Use these words to craft a sentence (or two) that describes your mission in life. It should be a statement that is specific to you yet can be applied to any area or facet of your life.
3. Type it on your phone, write it down and put it on your desk or screen background or somewhere where you will see it everyday. (Mine is on a note in my phone and a post-it note on my computer.) Having this daily reminder of your overarching goal in life will help you focus more on what really matters to you and less on the trivial things you face.
4. When you’re faced with a difficult decision or a tough situation, refer back to this statement. If the result doesn’t align with your mission, it might not be the best use of your time and efforts. I’m not saying that every single thing you do from this point forward should revolve around your mission, but it can be a great tool to use down the road.

Go explore other personal mission statements, and consider looking at those of some businesses too.  The foster adoption agency where I have worked for over 9 years has this as the mission statement:  "To ensure a child's opportunity for permanence in a safe and nurturing family."  In addition they have selected a core set of values by which the agency is guided and these are: Vision, Integrity, Partnership, Excellence and Leadership.  Perhaps an outline of your own personal values will also assist you in formulating your mission statement.

Consider then the Mission of Cosmic Cowgirls:

Our Belief is that each of us has a Vision with a calling and a purpose to fulfill and we believe that, through collaboration with other women, manifestation of that Vision becomes more possible.

Our Structure is comprised of a revolutionary membership-based publishing media house owned by girls and women worldwide, headquartered in the United States. 

Our Purpose is to empower one another to live legendary lives.

Our Mission is to establish Cosmic Cowgirls as a powerful community and marketplace where women's creative offerings equal livelihood, abundance, and recognition.

Our Focus is the gathering of women’s collective wisdom to be shared through the collaborative creation of products such as: art, cards, music, DVDs, film, coloring books, journals, workbooks and workshops designed to inspire, inform, and illuminate the journey of a woman’s life.

Our Intention as a collective of visionary women and girls, is to publish media that will bring education, creativity, and our sacred wisdom to those in need of information, healing, and transformation.

More recently we have seen the birth of The Red Thread Nation, whose mission is to Nurture the Soul through Art and Education.  Here are several more examples for you to peruse:

By Donna Miller on Creative Musings

Lastly check out this energetic and creative video slideshow one young teen put together for her personal mission statement.

After some thought have you come up with your own personal mission statement?

Will you share it here?

Now how about taking it and turning it into an art project, maybe a paper altar, or perhaps you can capture it in a photo, or even a video?