Just something I've been working on.

I've just been working on this for a bit. It's not perfect by any means, but I've really been meaning to get it down in writing. Reading 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and trying to truly find the purpose in my life.

My Mission Statement

Reason for mission statement:

Because life is precious, and we generally receive one chance to get it right, I want to make sure I focus on getting the most out of it that I can. I want to focus on the things that will impact the big picture rather than getting lost in the minutia. So, I’ve decided to gather my thoughts about who I want to be.

Home Life:

I will focus on leading a fruitful life where love, adventure, respect, and health are the main components. My family will come before all else, they understand unconditional love and will always be my shelter through the storm. I will focus on maintaining my mental health by making sure I stay active and challenged physically. I will not regret any of my choices, rather use them as learning for the future.  

Professional Life:

In the professional realm I will be viewed as reliable, effective, and innovative. I will respect those whose opinion differs from mine, and learn from those differences. I will move forward with unconditional positive regard for those who work with me, for me, and come to me for assistance. Life is a journey and each of us on our own path. The roadmap to my life will not be used to rate others. I seek to foster opportunities to learn, opportunities to teach, and opportunities to improve the environment around me.

So this is an exercise in visualization and affirmation. I keep thinking about the things I want in my life and I realize that I don't really commit to anything because I'm pretty sure that my feelings will change. But, I've realized there are a few things that I want in my life, and they're not anything super empowering, enlightening, or astounding. They're just things that I know will make me feel a little more at peace when I am able to have/do them.

I want a garden. I don't want it to be huge. I like the idea of growing one of everything. Though unrealistic, I'd probably try two. It'd be like one of the ones my mom has in her backyard, and I'd have a compost made from old tires because it was what I had when I grew up, and I think it was awesome.

I want to have a kitchen with natural lighting. I want a house with natural lighting. I love my apartment, but there are too many walls. I love the sunlight. I want to live out of town, but not too far out. I don't want to look at roads out my window.

I want to write a book. A fictional one where people live in far away kingdom and magic exists in a way that no one has fathomed before.

I want to publish articles about social theories and models.

I want to own my own business that is a cafe and a microbrewery. I want it to have maps on the walls, I want big cushy chairs, I want great pastries and unique mugs. I want a place for fun and fellowship. I also want it to be socially responsible and support social entrepreneurship.

I want to backpack in Europe, hike in Colorado, and vacation on an island.

I want to be leave people feeling like I care about them, like I'm there for them.

That's all. :)

I love my cat and other information.

Now, I think most of you who know me might find this to be a surprise (ha! NOT.) But, she's just added so much to my life and really presented me with some teaching opportunities about patience and responsibility.

I absolutely love when I can hear her playing in the other room with Connor and he's just laughing. Or, she'll just hang out in the tub with her ping pong ball and kick it around until she accidentally kicks it out. Then she finds one of us, meows and asks for a little help. Yea, I guess I am a bit of a crazy cat lady, but she's awesome.

Sometimes though, whew. This morning, I was doing some yoga and she really wanted to play instead, so she was laying all over my mat, trying to knead it (she's not declawed). Once we got that all sorted out, I started my yoga without a hair tie because she was playing with the only one I could find (she's stashed most of mine somewhere around the house, she loves to play with them). It was light yoga, so I wasn't worried about it until I was doing a stretch where my head was over my knees and my hair was hanging down. She brushed into my hair, I thought for attention, and then started to claw and bite at it. It's a weird thing she has. I should have seen this as a warning. Later, during "relaxation pose" I was just laying on the ground breathing in and out and she find the perfect opportunity to lose her mind in my hair. Nothing relaxing about that.

Still, she's running around the place looking for attention and doing all of the things she knows she shouldn't do because she wants to play so bad. Gotta love her.

In other news, school starts up again this week. Let's play a broken record. I'm really trying to commit my time wisely. Last semester I did really well, but at the expense of some of my social and physical well-being. Balance seeking, always doing it. But, I had a good chunk of time off to evaluate things and try to prioritize them. So, here's to hoping I've figure some things out.