WRITE A PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT WITH YOUR THOUGHTS IN MIND!

Writing down a personal mission statement that flows from your heart, from the inside-out is a great way to stay grounded. Write it with two concepts in mind. First, to become more grounded in who you are, remember that we all become what we think about. Second, ensure it’s in harmony with your true feelings and emotions. A philosopher once said, “The easiest thing in life should be…to be happy.” I agree, but so many people are unhappy because they don’t realize how powerful that statement is and, consequently, they become what they think about. Dwelling on bad thoughts can be habit forming. But so can dwelling on good thoughts. Let’s try something- deliberately try to think about what you’re thinking about. Sounds foolish, doesn't it? Not really. Perform this exercise:

Exercise: Sit & Don’t Think! Sit in a chair and relax. Close your eyes and spend 10 minutes breathing gently and not thinking about anything. Guess what? Thoughts will begin surfacing from your subconscious into your consciousness. You, or anyone else, cannot stop the thought process.

We are habitually thinking creatures! Researchers estimate the average person thinks 10,000 thoughts a day. Whew! If we sleep eight hours a day, that leaves 16 waking hours, or 960 minutes. Each one of those seemingly 60-second miniscule moments of your day is occupied by roughly 10+ thoughts. In-between them, I know not what transpires…maybe elevator music?


If we are continuously thinking, contemplating, and reflecting about things in an unintentional and involuntary way, how much power do we have to think about things in a more deliberate and planned manner?


Pay attention to what comes to your mind while waking up, brushing your teeth, eating, working, walking, and while performing the myriad of daily, mundane tasks. How many of your thoughts were negative? Positive? What did the silent language, the internal thoughts in your mind say? There’s nothing wrong with thinking negatively now and then, but if your internal dialogue donates an inordinate amount of time to negative thoughts, even a glass of Chateau Mouton Rothschild, 1945, a $220 bottle of Johnnie Walker blue, or a Prozac & Paxil high-ball won't save you. Unfortunately, many who never came to realize the power of positive thoughts made Johnnie Walker their best friend.


A great personal mission statement will only come through with positive, not negative, thinking. Keep thinking about the 10,000 thoughts that pass through your mind each day. How unpleasant it would be for you to confront your daily demands with harmful, pessimistic, and just plain unproductive ones.

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. has retired from his positions of School Psychologist and adjunct professor in the School of Leadership & Policy Studies at Bowling Green State Univeristy. A portion of Ad sale revenue from this site is donated to Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America. Questions? Comment? Concerns about family, parenting, educational or personal concerns? Contact him on the secure Bpath Mail Form.