A Purpose Statement, My Assignment Mandate.
I recently sent off my application form for my Masters program to which I was required to write a personal statement. For some, any excuse to reel off their accomplishments and goals comes almost on cue, I really had to crack my head.
My perspective was that you automatically become rather than strategically tracing your steps whilst merging these with future growth. That really changed for me when I received the invaluable access to mentorship. To quote my mentor ‘Decisions decide destiny.’ By avoiding making conscious decisions about key areas of my life, I was leaving myself exposed to one of life’s natural laws, it was going to be a downward spiral.
I guess for me, I was so self-confident at the time, a bit scared and extremely foolish in thinking that ‘things just happen.’ I confessed the other day that one of the reasons I struggled in university because for the first time ever, having been ‘naturally clever’ I had to apply myself in a discipline; and naturally my ego resisted the change.
As I wrote my personal statement so many things were evident to me:
It is easy to plateau in any area of your life without clear goals, vision and mentorship. Think about it, how many people do you know who started of with great prospects maybe even at school and simply became an average Jo(k)e. Not because they intentionally wanted to start off that way, they simply thought they’d make the most of their lives until life made the least out of them.
Do us both a favour, allow yourself to assess what purpose-built, tailor made statement you’re working towards. I don’t just mean a paragraph you use on your CV profile or something you quickly whip up when it’s demanded of you. But really, what am I living for?
I wrote in one of my first ever blogs ‘Lost for Words, Found in Grace’ a somewhat mini mission statement without even knowing it. In my post ‘Dear Faith, Stand’ I made a statement which reads something along the lines of:
I wasn’t born the prettiest girl in the room, the fastest runner on the track. I didn’t play Mozart aged 5 neither did I memorise the whole periodic table. However I believe that my life and the events thereoff are not by chance, I am being prepared for a future to serve and love people. I believe the pain and difficulties I had early on in life where merely a pre-requisite for the strength I need to be me. I believe confidence my future is bright regardless of how I started off in life.
The way I see it, I am going to do something that has never been done before.
Beyond any talent and human ability.
Destiny.
