I had no purpose for a while, I just went along with what seemed to be right in front of me. I joined the army, mostly at the urging of my father and kept moving forward, but not much purpose or mission. As I moved into ministry my wife and I began to sense more of a mission approach to our lives. Over time, it was refined into a simple mission of helping others and empowering others to improve their lives and the lives of others. My mission statement in those days was simple, “Find the Jewel in Everyone”.
A more simple mission would be “To Care” Care for self, so that I could care for others. Both these objects of care need to work together. One without the other will come up short. I think the younger me did not get the care for others part very well. I just figured I needed to care for myself. Getting married forces one to expand that a bit but still leaves you vulnerable to a heavily self centered position.
At some point, the earlier the better, it can be helpful to consider both channels of this idea of mission. The sooner one realizes that their mission is to focus on others and to care for them in some manor, the sooner one can become effective at living a values driven mission. A values driven mission is one where you look at your life skills, education and the things that are most important to you and take that bundle into the world to make up a more specific mission.
An outward mission will also drive one to live a better lifestyle not only for others but for themselves as well. When you have a clear purpose or mission, you have a much better chance of crafting a meaningful life instead of drifting through your days.
If you are young, like I once was, where can you start? I suggest watching, observing, or reading about those that have clear missions. Learn from them and take some advice from their lives and allow them to mentor you.
You are not limited to someone close to you. There are many mentors you can access in the world, even if it is from a distance.
At any rate, I would try to look at other mission minded leaders and then craft my own mission statement after my observations. Remember, it starts with caring for others and caring for your self. The word Serve or Service could be used early on as well.
Another way of looking at is simple as well. Am I contributor to others or a taker from others? This one is a bit harder because it is a judgment call and most of us don’t like to be judged. Take an inventory on your own. Am I putting out more than I am taking in, less than I am taking in or is there a good balance between the two?
This dual view, care for self and care for others is only a starting place. But start early and review it often, it will guide you for the rest of your life. When times are tough and things are way out of balance, it will help you get a grip on your life again and correct your course.
I have a few regrets, this might be the most profound of them, that I took too long to figure out this simple approach to making my way in the world, Caring for myself and Caring for others. I have found that when I care for others, I become much better at caring for myself, even when it feels like I am struggling to keep my head above water. A life lived well learns how to enjoy both.