This week, we will be exploring the importance of having a personal mission statement, but first, we must step back and look at our perceptions. Every day, life offers us a shoreless ocean of possibilities, a field of virtually unlimited opportunities, some remote and improbable, and others, near and very possible. We are seldom awake to the scope of these possibilities because we see reality through the largely unconscious lens of our limited narratives, preferences, and aversions. This selective seeing severely limits the quality of our lives and our God-given creativity. If we want to realize our full potential, we must take responsibility for our perceptions and work to expand our perceptual capabilities. We must learn to see as God sees. If we don’t take responsibility for how we see the world, then we will continue to be driven by the blind forces of our conditioning, unconscious drives, and karmic patterns.
Expanded perception begins with an honest look at the stories we tell ourselves. Today, ask yourself the following questions: what are the stories that govern my perceptions? Do they open the door to a life rich in meaning, purpose, and joy? Do these stories inspire me to stand tall and walk straight? Do they dignify my life, and are they worthy of me? One way to unearth our stories is to look at our life experiences. Have we shown patterns of self-destructive behaviors? Do we have a defeatist attitude? Have we become everything we are capable of becoming? It takes courage to ask these questions. What helps in this endeavor is another set of questions: What are the stories that inspire me, elevate me, and give me strength and courage? These can be religious stories, stories from literature, or stories that emerge from family history. Pay attention to those stories that empower you, dignify you, and give you hope. Nurture these stories with great love and care, because they hold the seeds of your God-given capacity to be the very best version of yourself. They are manna from heaven!
What are the stories
I habitually tell
About myself, my life, and God?
What are the stories from outside myself
That inspire and guide me?
