Is faith aligned with your mission? Do you know what your mission in life is?
A lot of people have likely never stopped to think about what their mission in life is, apart from one word - survive. A mission feels like something only businesses would have, and while that is true, it is also a good thing for you to have within your life as well.
If we don't have a mission, what are we doing? I cannot believe that my only purpose in this life is to simply exist day in and day out. There is a desire to want and do more than just the same old routine every day. I recognize that how I spend each waking moment is my choice to make, and mine alone, which is why I want to make it count.
Towards the end of last year, I realized that I have been doing things wrong. I was stressed, sick all the time, and miserable. I had gotten so caught up in my daily work that I didn't give myself time to do the things that my body and mind needed me to do. I didn't rest, I rushed through devotions, I skipped meals, I wasn't sleeping, and ultimately, I wasn't in alignment.
This realization brought forth a sudden panic because I recognized I was no longer living a life in accordance with my mission. Not just my business mission, but my life mission. When I was in this state, I was not treating others the way that God would want me to treat them and I didn't carve out time to sit and be present with the people I love.
Alignment is something that needed to happen, and happen quickly. I want to share with you the steps I took to get my faith and mission back in alignment.
Let's start with first breaking down what my missions are.
For my business, my mission reads: My mission is to help you confidently express your voice and embrace your authentic identity, while honoring the faith that guides your journey.
For my personal mission, it's simply: Serve others to the best of my ability with grace and love.
Next, let's look at how faith is in alignment with my missions.
For my business: Helping others discover their voice and identity is something that can only be done with prayer. As I work with others, I am constantly pausing to pray and seek direction on which way to go, before I submit anything to the client. If they are not of the same faith as I am, or choose to not have faith involved in the process, this step stays with me, it is never shared, it is simply part of my process. If they are someone who chooses to include faith with their work, I invite them in and we have open discussions about how God fits into the bigger picture for them and their identity. It is in both of these ways that faith is in alignment with my business mission.
For my personal mission: Serve others - something I believe God calls us all to do and I enjoy doing it. With grace and love - again, something I believe God calls us all to do, be a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7), serve with gladness (Psalm 100:2).
I know that not everyone shares the same beliefs I do. Faith may look different for each of you, but I would encourage you to weave it in with your mission. Faith is a mixture of belief, trust, confidence, and conviction. I have faith in you that you'll be able to rediscover your authentic identity in a way that honors your beliefs.
How can you align faith with your mission?
- First determine what faith means to you
- Start with your personal mission - write down what you want it to be
- If you have a business, write your business mission
- Review your mission(s), where can faith be found among the words you've written
- As you review, write down any thoughts that come to mind on how you can align faith with your mission(s)
- Make a promise to yourself (and God if you choose), to begin living your life in a way that upholds your mission(s)
I know that life can often feel heavy as you go through the same motions daily. The only way to break free from that way of living is to make the first step towards self improvement. Having a missions to keep you focused is a great first step on your road to a more joy-filled life.
I have faith in you!
With Grace, Shonda