Eagles and Earthworms

Another adventurous morning in e-mail problem day.  Seems Russians hacked one of our accounts so we're taking preventative measures that it doesn't happen again.  No damage done, it seems.  I thought about my He Stiffened Part Two post from yesterday and hoped that I hadn't stepped over a line with my alternative scenarios, especially the sinister one.  I hope I was clear that I was just playing with alternative interpretations for his actions, using my wonderful fiction loving brain to come up with "well maybes".   And I do have a flair for the dramatic so leave it to me to come up with something dark and twisted.  As I lay awake in bed last night, I thought of another sweeter scenario. Could it be that he was so touched and overwhelmed by the love and hug of a child that he froze with emotion?  Could it be that he was so hungry for that kind of touch, starved for it, that once it came, he didn't know what do do with it, couldn't reciprocate?  Point is, I will never know, but what I DO know now is that I don't know and, because I don't know, I can't and shouldn't infuse his response with any interpretation.   Just let it go and be sad that the moment didn't play out in a more understandable way.

I've been working on my personal mission statement.  OK, this is lot harder than I thought it would be.  I figured that, because I am a facile writer, it would just flow off my pen.  Not so.  What I'm striving for is a single paragraph that captures my code of living, that is inspirational and memorizable.  I had four pages of false starts before I crafted something that is still not perfect but that is closer at least.

These are my vows:  In my relationships, I will always speak truthfully.  I will conduct myself maturely with patience and compassion.  I will muster the will to hold my tongue when needed.
Relationships:  I will be truthful, loyal, steadfast, compassionate and supportive.
I seek to lead an inspsirational life each day devoted to positive practices.  In relationships, acceptance and love given freely.  In work, fair play and leadership.  In the arts, creativity expressed.

This I believe:  we are here a short time.  In that time, if we are lucky, hardworking and generous, we may experience love and feel as though we make a differeence to those we love.
In deed:  honesty and fairness; In love: acceptance and appreciation; In work: industry and inspiration; In community: service to others; In learning: curiosity and open-mindedness; In family: steadfast love; In partnership: sweetness and servitude; In spirit: a sense of awe; In friendship: safety and fun 

I believe we are here for the blink of an eye - it is over almost as soon as it's begun. Life should be lived fully, passionately, ecstatically, with curiosity, open-mindedness and compassion.  I value intimacey, honest and fair play.  I strive to be an inspirational role model, living my life in an exemplary way as a loving mother, devoted partner, good citizen, loyal friend, hard worker and dutiful daughter. 

I extract meaning from things of beauty, acts of kindness, creative inspiration, intellectual pursuits, sadness and loss and rip roaring fun.  I pledge to live my life on the pulse, not numbing out when pain is present, to embrace the ride fully - the ups and the down.  I will not be tethered to the past nor will I wait for the future. I will seek to shape each day in a worthy way, knowing that lifes pleasures are rarely scripted. Carpe diem. 

I seek to live my life vibrantly and fully, seeking opportunities for learning and creative expression.  I aim for meaningful relationships based on honesty, empathy and intimacy.  I pledge to take care of myself in all ways, physically, emotionally, financially and creatively.  By caring for myself, my goal is to enlarge my circle of care to those around me who need nurture.  As a citizen of the planet, I recognize the need to walk lightly on the earth, not taking too much, conserving, being frugal.  I accept my calling for leadership.  It is a responsibility I seek to embrace and leverage to make a difference in the world.

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And the winner is!!!

I pledge to live my life with integrity and honesty, to express my love for others with kind words and reliable deeds, to apply myself diligently and effectively in the work I choose, to treat people with fairness, patience and compassion, to care for myself physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially, to try and live each day with passion and enthusiasm, rejoicing in the journey, being open and curious to new people and experiences, appreciating beauty, accepting sadness and loss, and creatively expressing my love of life.

Next.  Taking that mission statement and writing commandments (this is my idea - not Covey's)  My own "Thou shall and shan'ts"  Examples would be:  Thou shall accept criticism without retaliation. Thou shall exercise four days a week.  Thou shall balance the checkbook weekly.  Thou shall remember friends' important milestones.   OK.  The "thou shall" thing would get old really quickly.   My commandments won't be written in biblical English!

Your challenge today could be thinking about writing your own mission statement.  The value of this, it seems, is giving yourself an unshakable code to live by, identifying your bottom line, things you will dig your heels in to defend and uphold.  We are all eagles and earthworms, even the best of us. By writing and living a mission statement, I think we can come closer to an eagle life we can be proud of.

Peace,
Sarah