Inspiration, adventure + truth

String Theory

Back when I had depression, one thing I did was detach from the world. From everyone, except a very, very few family members, and about two friends. Instead, I just curled up in a proverbial ball (sometimes I curled up in an actual ball) and hid away from everyone. I was sick, and I couldn’t deal with the world, and so I withdrew to the extreme.

I actually developed extreme social anxiety too. I remember once being out shopping, and a random boy started chatting to me, and sweat started to pour off me in such rivulets (dripping down my back, my legs, my arms) that it actually looked like I had wet my pants. Didn’t matter whether I’d known someone for two minutes or two decades, I didn’t want to engage with them, I didn’t know how to, and I would have extreme physiological and emotional responses to such situations.

The reasons and scope and extent of my social detachment are a story for another day. But let it suffice to say that my world became very, very small. Immediate family, two friends, that’s it. Everyone else I completely cut out. (Which, I will freely and honestly tell you, is one of my biggest regrets. I lost a heap of wonderful people from my life. When I Got Better and tried to reconnect, a bunch of them totally understood and graciously welcomed me back into their lives with open arms. Others did not, which I found very difficult to accept at the time, but which I came to understand. It was gut-wrenching, but eventually I was able to accept their decision with love and understanding. Albeit still with a wish that one day in the future, we will somehow become friends again…)

So, now that I am Well, and have been for some time now (about three years maybe? Four? Either way, it makes me happy and proud and still a little bit sad). But despite all this time being Well, social connections are still something that I have to actively work on. I have to actively cultivate them and nurture them and occasionally force myself into them. It still doesn’t come entirely naturally to me.

However, I was struck by an image the other day. I had spent three hours having coffee and awesome conversation with my Dad on New Years Day, then the next day had a similar length coffee and similarly awesome conversation with another awesome friend, then the next day had got this amazing email from my best female friend who lives faraway. All of these interactions made me absolutely glow in my insides. They filled me up. They made me so very, very happy.

And I was struck by this image of string. Sometimes I feel like I am tying string between myself and those around me that I love. Connecting us. Giving us a relationship. Positioning myself with reference to the other. And I realised that I have so many strings now, connecting me to the world, and to people and to life. More strings than I have had in at least ten years. Maybe even more strings that I have ever had.

And I am so heart-burstingly grateful for them. At one stage, it would have made me feel panicked and trapped and burdened. And lost.

Now it is what fills me up, and makes me so very, very found, so very much here. I don’t define myself by my relationships, but they certainly help. And there are so many amazing beings out there who I am connected to and who are feeding and lighting up my heart-strings, as I hope I do the same with their strings.

So now I am tied up and tied down and attached. String is my new thing. And I love it.

♥

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Jess • Filed Under: Depression, life, Love • 6 Comments

Houses and Homes and My Honey…

My boy and I are house hunting. It is super exciting. I have never bought a house before (ummm, and even now, it will technically be ‘his’, cos I’m going to spend all my money on croissants and sangria and plane tickets – oh my!). But, bless him, he is making it all about ‘us’ and it is Super Exciting, with capital letters.

The entire process has got me thinking about my ideal space – those features that I’ve always had in my head, yet perhaps never articulated to myself (“oh yeah – high ceilings make me feel good, lots of natural light makes me feel good, feeling connected to the outdoors makes me feel goooood.”)

And man, have I found it funny noticing how my boy and I converse about these matters. Keep in mind that he has actual skills, he Knows Stuff about houses. Whereas me… Well, I know what I like, and I’ve watched a heap of Grand Designs episodes and I’ve flicked through a few Living magazines = Totally qualified to have an opinion (ha!). But have no actual knowledge or language base in which to converse.

[Sidebar - actually, that's not entirely true. I've managed to pick up a few really esoteric house-building things from watching so much Grand Designs. Unfortunately, as the show is filmed in the UK, all my knowledge is correspondingly very tea-and-scones-British, and not at all suitable for the Queensland context...
Me: Can we get a house with cedar cladding? I like cedar cladding. Or what about an oak-frame house? Or re-claimed Bath sandstone? And what about thatching? I love Tudor thatching, especially with Kent-sourced eco-reeds. Let's find a house with that!]

Moving on! When we walk out of a house inspection, he is able to converse in intelligent, relevant building-speak: “I liked the open floor plan, but the timber architraves were very dated and the kitchen was a total flat-pack nightmare.”

And I am all: “I liked the feeeeeel of the house. Like, it felt like the trees outside the house were part of the inside living space. And I can imagine fairy-lights in that big tree out the back. And the sunlight through the windows made it feel nice and vibey and retreaty.”

Ha! Poor boy.

But the other thing about buying a house is that you have to start thinking about things that had previously seemed waaay down the track. Basically, the big one, being kids. What if we have kids? Are we having kids? How many rooms do we need for said hypothetical children? Do we need to consider if we are near any schools, and does it matter if they are private or state schools? Do we need to think about how busy the road is, cos little Jack and Rosie sure as hell aren’t going to be kicking a ball on a front lawn like this with busy cars screeching past! Aaaggghhh.

Basically, perhaps naively, I have been struck in my sternum by how much buying a house is NOT about buying a house. It is about choosing a future. About actively creating a future. About merging your thoughts and dreams and desires with your Significant Other’s (if that’s how you roll). And trying to make sense of the whole thing without getting monumentally overwhelmed.

Of course, the flipside to that is that it is not forever. It can be forever, but it doesn’t have to be. I am reminded of the luminous Sarah Wilson’s recent discussion on decision making: if you make a decision that isn’t right, you just choose again.

So me and my boy are still toying with Airlie Beach versus Mackay versus the Sunny Coast versus Brisvegas. And we are tossing up between a renovator and a serious renovator and a holy-goodness-tear-it-down-already renovator. And I am tossing up between thatching and gargoyles and turrets. (Darn Brits!)

But if you are tossing up between two decisions, it probably means that both choices have their merits and could be made to work (let’s face it, if one of the decisions was clearly a bad choice, you would have already crossed it out). The tossing up indicates goodness. And then the actual act of choosing – the act of deciding – renders your decision the Right One. Because you chose it. Because something in you at that point in time, with the information and tools you had at your disposal, was drawn towards that option. And if, with the brilliant-if-painful twenty-twenty vision of hindsight, it turns out that you picked the lesser investment or whatever… Well, I am one of those annoying people who thinks that everything happens for a reason. You may have missed out on the investment, but maybe you picked up a valuable skill or lesson or perspective along the way that the Universe knew you needed…
And I am comforted in the knowledge that as massive as decisions can be, we can always choose again. That piece of knowledge right there brings spaciousness back and helps dispel my stress. It makes it exciting, as it should be. And yes, maybe ‘choosing again’ involves a bit of extra time and effort and maybe even spending (or losing) some money. But if the decision is important enough to you, then those things pale in comparison.

So, whether it is high heels or high schools or high-set houses, make a choice. And if it’s not right, you choose again. It is as simple and as complex as that.

♥

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Jess • Filed Under: perspective • 6 Comments

So much goodness…

Reading good writing makes my innards sing and my heart flutter and my stomach sigh. Occasionally accompanied by a stab of jealousy (until I remind myself that There Is Enough Pie, Jessica. More than enough. Oodles, in fact. And whilst you might sometimes yearn for key lime or pumpkin pie, your particular brand of coconut-cream pie is just fine, thank you very much!). But usually just with that glow of having read and experienced something just that little bit transcendent.

Over my Christmas holidays, I read a few things that I thought were worth sharing. They are varied in their content, but all similarly wonderful in their quality.

Enjoy.

1. This is an article from the New Yorker magazine about a pickpocket. Sounds random? It is. It is also wonderful.

2. Sarah Wilson is one of my favourite writers. Here, she smacked me in the face with her words (again). This time, on the perils of the festive season and the heightened emotions that it brings.

3. Leo Babatua’s piece on how he changed his life isn’t flowery or fancy or filled with big words. But it is an awesome example of truthful writing, and all the more powerful for its simplicity. Which, really, is what he’s all about…

4. And finally, not words but images. I recently discovered this Tumblr account, called Fit Girl in the Real World. The lovely Camelia curates beautiful images of health, wellness and some crazy awesome yoga. Take care if you are looking at this whilst at work, cos a lot of the yoga pictures are a little bit lacking in clothing…!

♥

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Jess • Filed Under: Inspiration, Links to Love, Writing • 0 Comments

2013 is the year of the ship…

[Aaaand she's back! Thank you all for sticking around despite my Christmas hiatus. I hope you all had a wonderful festive season, and are ready-and-raring to kick ass in 2013. Honestly, seriously: all my love!]

For the past month, I have felt this insane level of resistance every time I sit down to write. Crazy strong resistance. Like, there is a petulant teenager inside me who is kicking and screaming and chucking a toddler-worthy tanty.

“But I don’t wanna write!”

“But I don’t feel like it!”

“But I’ve been at work all day”

“But I deserve the day off”

“But blah-blah-blah blerg…”

And really, I have let all of my writer’s tools desert me. I have given in to this annoying beast. I have spent the past month feeling guilty about not writing. Which is super fun, let me tell you.

After feeling super resist-y for all of early December, I finally yielded to the feeling and proceeded to give myself two weeks off over Christmas where I didn’t have to feel guilty at all. Permission was granted. I could let it all go. And damn it has felt good. It has been a release, and apparently, I really needed it.

Sometimes brains need vacations. They need time to prance and twirl and sway freely in the coconut-scented breeze. Mine was singing out for it, but it took me quite a while to listen. I think for those of us living the double life of a really-not-right-day-job whilst trying to create the ‘life of our dreams’ in the off-hours, it can be really tiring and emotionally overwhelming trying to get it all done. (Hmmm, first world problems, hey?! And yet it is real to me, and I need to acknowledge it, and I definitely do not need more guilt in my life…) Trying to create the space to do it all – the time space, the physical space, the inner space – can be… well, trying. Seriously, it takes a lot of spaciousness to create. And more so when your brain is overloaded at the end of a workday with a million things that you don’t really care about, which aren’t getting you anywhere, but which you need to do anyway. You know, so that you get those things called ‘pay cheques’ in order to pay those pesky little men known as ‘Bill’.

So in recognition of this time of Resistance, and in the knowledge that I want to steer myself towards achieving my desires, most of my New Year’s Resolutions are about Gettin’ It Done. Because I have spent far too long living in the awesome world of ideas that is my head, but not actually delivering. And to be a writer, you must write. You must deliver. You must ship.

I have always been someone who is supremely ideas based. I love the abstract, the wild, the surreal. I can brainstorm a million ways to combine a teaspoon, a turnip and a totem pole into a weapon of mass seduction. And this is a super excellent quality that I love about myself… HOWEVER, now I want to back it the frick up! With actions, with achievements, with real-life words!

So, in essence, this is the year that I ship. I will explore my inner world of ideas and wonder, but then I will translate that into tangible, ship-worthy deliverance. Shippin’ my shiny innards to the world. It is all I want to do, and I am so excited. And now begins the learning process, the trying new things, the gettin’ it done…

I’ll keep you posted.

In the meantime, let me leave you with these words of Mr Pressfield, he who wrangles with Resistance more eloquently than most:

Resistance and Love

Resistance is directly proportional to love. If you’re feeling massive Resistance, the good news is, it means there’s tremendous love there too. If you didn’t love the project that is terrifying you, you wouldn’t feel anything. The opposite of love isn’t hate; it’s indifference.

The more Resistance you experience, the more important your unmanifested art/project/enterprise is to you – and the more gratification you will feel when you finally do it.

Oh Mr Pressfield, sometimes you get me all hot and bothered when you just get me like that!

Oh, and in the interests of honesty and accountability and ship-worthiness, yesterday I wrote 2134 words for my book. Booyah!

♥

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Jess • Filed Under: Inspiration, Writer's Block, Writing • 1 Comment

The golden drop that rocks my world

I am a recent convert to apple cider vinegar. I took it on-and-off about six months ago, and had been using it occasionally as a salad dressing in the interim, but in the past two months, I got Serious-with-a-capital-S and have been taking it religiously. I have two tablespoons in a glass of water every morning (after the half litre of water I always drink when I wake up – I get so thirsty in the morningtime!) and another two tablespoons in water about half an hour before dinner.

And I love it.

Well, I don’t necessarily love the flavour, but I love how it makes me feel. And I LOVE what it has done for my skin. Seriously, my skin has noticeably increased in quality and decreased in pesky little breakouts since I’ve started the ACV (including the one or two cystic beauties I usually get at The Time of the Month when I am Reminded that I am a Lady). This past Lady-time? None. Not a one. Which is unheard of. And my man commented on my skin looking particularly lovely just the other day (which, as someone who had teenage acne, totally tickles my inner princess!)

And I put it all down to the ACV.

ACV is meant to massively help your digestion – it makes your stomach environment more acidic, which enhances your ability to break down and then absorb food. And as you know, it’s not ‘you are what you eat’, it’s ‘you are what you absorb from what you eat’, and having an optimal acidic environment is essential for proper digestion.

It also has an alkaline effect on the body, which is super beneficial. The toxins of our current modern lifestyle (like processed foods, sugar bombs, caffeine loaded goodies, lack of exercise, environmental toxins and chronic stress) all make our blood stream more acidic. Which ain’t what you want for bounce-out-of-bed-in-the-morning health.

ACV can help counteract this and alkalise the blood. This may seem really counter-intuitive, given that it itself is so acidic. However, a food’s acid or alkaline-forming tendency in the body has nothing to do with the actual pH of the food itself. For instance, citrus fruits are very acidic, however the end-products they produce after digestion and assimilation are very alkaline, which is why lemons and limes are alkaline-forming in the body. So ACV’s acidity is awesome in your tum-tum to aid digestion, and then once it has actually been digested, it’s aftereffect ( or ‘ash’) is awesome for alkalising your blood.

ACV is also particularly awesome for heartburn. I have a work colleague who started taking it three years ago because she used to get dreadful heartburn after eating. Lots of people pop antacids when they feel that burn, thinking that they’re doing the right thing. But really, heartburn isn’t usually about having too much acid, it’s about having a lack of acid to properly digest what you’ve just eaten. So your stomach tries to kick it back out because it’s not coping, to get rid of it. Because the PH of your stomach is more acidic that the pipes that lead into it, we feel this as that awful burning sensation, and people drink milk or bicarb or antacids to neutralise this, not realising that the problem is that their stomach is not acidic enough, and if they actually increased the acid profile of their stomach (by drinking ACV or lemon juice etc) it would help to address the cause of the problem, not just the symptom. My colleague said she used to pop Quick-Eze like candy, but has not had to touch them for years, because ACV twice a day completely cleared up all her heartburn issues. Miracle juice!

What you need to know about AVC:

* It must be raw, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar. Preferably organic. If it’s not raw, then the benefits aren’t there, and it is just like drinking balsamic or white wine vinegar (both of which have an acidic affect on the body). Make sure that the bottle you buy says that it contains the ‘Mother’. This is the crusty ferment that makes the bottom of the bottle slightly murky (and is the reason why you should always shake the bottle well before pouring). The Mother is where all the goodness is at – bring on the murky sediment!

* Braggs is an ol’ fathful brand to try (although currently in short supply as they sold their apple farm!) and good Australian brands include Melrose and Mock Red Hill.

* You may need to get it from a health food store. Some grocery stores are now starting to stock raw ACV, but in the past, they’ve all been of the cooked variety. Which, as we’ve established, you don’t want.

* Protect your pearlers! ACV can be super harsh on your tooth enamel. I always drink mine through a straw. I try not to do it too close to brushing my teeth either, because that makes your teeth even more susceptible to wear-and-tear.

* To shot or not to shot? Some people like to ‘shot’ their ACV the same way that you might shot tequila. I am not a fan of this, as I can feel it burn on the way down and it feels really harsh in my belly. But some people don’t have a problem with it at all. So just listen to your body, and if it’s burning, drink more water. Taking some coconut oil afterwards can also make your tummy feel better if you’ve had too much.

ACV is also frequently used as a weight-loss tool. It definitely works as an appetite suppressant. Not that I’ve been using it for that purpose, but I can definitely see why some people swear by it.

There is also anecdotal evidence to suggest that two tablespoons of ACV can lessen the impact of sugar and other junk on your blood stream. I’m yet to see this documented empirically, but as I love the stuff so much, I’m happy to go along with the suggestion. Two weekends ago I had a trip to Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island with my man, where we… ahem… diligently indulged in some-slash-lots of wine and food. Both nights, when we got back to the apartment, I took two tablespoons of ACV in some water. I can’t actually tell whether it made any difference, but I felt far better in the morning than I should have, so I’m going to keep trying it during moments of indiscretion!

I think that’s about all for my apple lovin’ today. There are literally hundreds of uses for the stuff, and the internet is filled with home remedies based on this elixir of goodness. (Wart healing anyone? Hair rinse? Do I have any takers for toilet cleaning?!) Do you use ACV? Tell me your tips below!

[Oh, and PS: this is my Super-Secret Salad Dressing recipe. It is DEE-lish-us and I have become the designated Dresser of Salads at family events (I have a plaque and everything) (Not really, but that would be cool. Sisterpants, if you could get on that stat?!)

Mix in a cup equal parts olive oil, raw apple cider vinegar and seeded mustard. Add crushed garlic - I like lots, but others (like that prissy Edward Cullen) probably prefer a subtle hint, so gauge your audience - and salt and pepper to taste. Add honey and fresh crushed chilli, tasting frequently so that you get the hot/sweet flavour-balance right for your taste. Stir it really well, then pour over your salad and toss well. If you're vegan, you can exchange the honey for rapadura, brown or palm sugar.

This dressing is an awesome combination of sweet-salty-hot and pungent. It will make your green leaves sing. Hopefully something cool, like Ben Harper or Coldplay. Preferably not a medley of Michael Bolton ballads, but we shouldn't judge!]

♥

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Jess • Filed Under: Food, Health, Wellness • 9 Comments

This is me steering…

So I have exciting news. Very exciting news. I wrote a post a little while ago about how I wanted to go traveling next year but was having trouble committing to where and when and for how long.

About a month ago, I finally made the decision: At the end of February next year, I am going to Spain, France, Italy, Austria and Hungary for just under three months. By myself. Which is slightly scary.

As you can imagine, I am super excited.

And then, when I get back from my overseas traipsing, I won’t be returning to my job. I am going to be starting my own business. Finally doing something that sets my heart aflutter and my innards on fire. It is still taking shape in my mind, but it all revolves around writing. And this is almost more exciting than the travel itself. This will be me shaping my career by myself, my way. Which is slightly scary.

And, as you can imagine, I am super excited.

For so long, I have felt like I haven’t been making decisions actively. I have felt very much like I’ve been at the mercy of the swirling tides around me. I’ve felt like I’ve been acting at the whim of the surrounding forces – whether that was having an ex-partner with strong ideas about what he wanted, or doing a uni course just because I could get into it, or sticking around at a job that didn’t challenge me at all because it was convenient.

I think that a lot of this was based on not knowing what I wanted. Except, truth be told, I think I did know what I wanted, I just didn’t want to admit it. Because it’s not the path that I am supposed to take. Because it means not using my university degree. Because there is a whole lot more risk following creative pursuits. Because admitting meant that I could fail.

So this not knowing – or not admitting to myself what I did know – meant that I just didn’t make a whole lot of decisions full stop. I just went where the wind took me. I do not know how I came to miss out on this piece of Most Important Information, but here it is: I did not realise that I had the power to not only influence my life, but to actively create it. I just kind-of floundered along.

In fact, I have only realised that there was an alternative to this method of life-living in the past year or so. At the grand old age of 29, no less. And let me tell you, it has opened up a whole array of possibilities and opportunities that I had not let myself even hope for previously.

It was my wonderful boyfriend who actually illustrated this point to me. He wanted something really bad in his career. He had no experience, no skills and not really any contacts at all. And yet he made it happen.

And at first, I couldn’t figure it out: “But how did you do it?”

Him: “I just did it. I decided what I wanted and just did everything that I could do to make it happen.”

“But weren’t you scared?”

“Yeah.”

“Weren’t you worried that you might run out of money or that it might take forever or that it might not work?”

“Yeah.”

“Weren’t you worried that you might just fail and all of your efforts would have been for nothing?”

“Yeah.”

“And?”

“And just do it anyway.”

“But how do you do it?”

“You just do something.”

“Hmmmmmm…”

Somehow, watching him achieve what he wanted to do over the past year has helped me figure out that I can actually do that too, in my own life. He was super scared and risked a whole bunch and had to spend a lot of money to get there. But he still did it, and I can too. I don’t have to keep going on doing things that aren’t fulfilling me. I don’t have to spend my life in a supposedly ‘good’ job that makes my heart sink just a little more each day. I don’t have to settle for what is.

Instead, I can actively make choices and steer my life in the direction that I wish it to go.

These two decisions – travel and career - are so massive for me, and they are filling me with enormous amounts of hope and excitement. What I love about my life is that I am creating it. I may not have figured out all of the nuts-and-bolts yet, but my course is finally set in a direction where I want to go. Where I choose to go. This is me steering…

♥

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Jess • Filed Under: Inspiration, life, perspective, Travel • 16 Comments

Where are you looking?

According to an ancient legend, there was a time when ordinary people had access to all the knowledge of the gods. Yet time and again, they ignored this wisdom. One day, the gods grew tired of so freely giving a gift the people didn’t use, so they decided to hide this precious wisdom where only the most committed of seekers would discover it. They believed that is people had to work to find this wisdom, they would use it more carefully.

One of the gods suggested they bury it deep in the earth.

No, the others said–too many people could easily dig down and find it.

“Let’s put it in the deepest ocean,” suggested one of the gods, but that idea was also rejected. They knew that people would one day learn to dive and thus would find it too easily.

One of the gods suggested hiding it on the highest mountaintop but it was quickly agreed that people could climb mountains.

Finally, one of the wisest gods suggested, “Let’s hide it deep inside the people themselves. They’ll never think to look in there.” And so it came to be–and so it continues today.

-Jack Canfield, ‘The Success Principles’.

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Jess • Filed Under: Inspiration, life • 4 Comments

Little Love Notes

Dear Friday,

I am super psyched to have you off! I have a little three day getaway planned with my beautiful boyfriend, and am so looking forward to Not Being At Work. So thank you for your delightful non-workiness!!!

♥

Dear North Queensland,

Ima comin’ to getcha! Three days at Airlie Beach should be amaze-balls. I see a cocktail (or three) in my very-near future!

♥

Dear Travel Plans,

You guys! You are awesome! The way you are slowly taking shape in my mind is So Fricking Exciting. It’s been really amazing to have had a random seed of an idea, slowly let it fester and marinate, then (and this has been the key part) start to act. I keep wanting to spout about you to anyone who will listen. Thanks for helping me make sense of where I want to go (both literally, and in life in general).

♥

Dear Sister-pants,

You are a very good sister. And a very good human. And I missed you, even though you were only away for ten days! Thanks for coming back. With a present, no less. That was awesome.

♥

Dear Raw Mushrooms,

I did not realise that I liked you until very recently. Now, I am adding you to all my salads like a mad woman. Mad for mushrooms, that is. You pack a decent wallop of vitamin-and mineral-power to my lunch. I swoon at your shroominess.

♥

Dear Raw Onion,

Although you stink up my breath, I still love you dearly. It is strange how much I have been craving you lately.

♥

Dear Kevin McCloud,

You should call me! We would get on like a house on fire, I just know it! With your acerbic wit and my embarrassingly-layman-like knowledge of house design, I think we would amuse each other greatly.

Mr McCloud. Just leaning and gazing and thinking important thoughts…

♥

Dear Reader,

Thank you for being awesome and for visiting this here little corner of Ye Olde Interwebs. Please write your own little love note below, I would love to hear what you are lovin’ and crushing on!

♥

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Jess • Filed Under: Inspiration, Love • 5 Comments

Interview!

Happy morningtime, peeps!

If you feel like some lovin’, head over to Arianna’s Random Thoughts and check out the interview that I did with her. I love the ‘Profiles of Perseverance’ interview series that she’s been doing, and she’s chatted with all sorts of interesting people. I was so excited when she asked me to take part.

Check. It. Out!

♥

Image from Pulitzer Princess

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Jess • Filed Under: Inspiration, Links to Love • 3 Comments

Your mission, should you choose to accept it…

A mission statement is a clear and succinct statement of purpose or philosophy. Lots of businesses and organisations have them – schools, teams, units, companies etc, but have you ever thought about having one as an individual? A statement of your personal ethos – why you do what you do - can be a useful tool for determining which tasks, goals and activities align with where you want to go and who you want to be. It is particularly helpful for narrowing down and cutting out things that are not actually serving you – once you have a clear statement of intention, it is easy to identify those things which are extraneous and are not amplifying your goal.

Some good examples of mission statements for big-time global companies are:

Ben & Jerry’s ice cream: ‘to make the best possible ice cream, in the nicest possible way’.

(I really like this one. At my work, I suggested that our mission statement should be ‘to give the best possible policy advice in the nicest possible way’. Unsurprisingly, this was not adopted. Instead we ended up with lots of boring business-sounding words like ‘stakeholder’ and ‘agenda’ and ‘dynamic state of strategic alignment’!!)

Google: ‘Google’s mission is to organize the world‘s information and make it universally accessible and useful’.

Microsoft: ‘At Microsoft, our mission and values are to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential’.

Technically, this is Apple‘s mission statement: Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

However, when Steve Jobs’ had to take a leave of absence due to illness, the acting CEO made the following statement, which I think is much more inspiring than the above:

We believe that we’re on the face of the earth to make great products and that’s not changing. We’re constantly focusing on innovating. We believe in the simple, not the complex.

We believe we need to own and control the primary technologies behind the products that we make and participate only in markets where we can make a significant contribution.

We believe in saying no to thousands of projects so that we can focus on the few that are meaningful to us. We believe in deep collaboration and cross pollination in order to innovate in a way others cannot.

We don’t settle for anything other than excellence in any group in the company, and we have the self-honesty to admit when we’re wrong and the courage to change.

Developing a mission statement for yourself can help keep you focused and on task. You can have a mission statement for different parts of your life (for example, one for your career, one for your personal life, one for your creative work etc).

For my blog, for example, my mission statement is:

To inspire through truth and whimsy, in a way that is truly me.

As a writer in general, my mission statement is:

To tell a damn good story, and the truth.

As a person… well, this one is constantly changing and evolving. At the moment:

To live boldly and truthfully, to embody my highest ideals, to love fiercely.

It can also be really enlightening to find out other people’s mission statements. My beautiful boyfriend, after much prodding and encouragement (!) said that his mission is to be ‘happy, loyal and determined within himself; and generous, honest and respectful with others’.

So now it’s your turn! Don’t worry if your words don’t sound particularly profound or literary – merely the process of getting your highest priorities onto paper can be enlightening. Start by just writing a few key words and sentences down, and go from there. I kept finding the words ‘truth’ and ‘authentic’ popping up for me – it’s clear that living in a way that is fully aligned with my truth is important to me. That’s good to know! On the flip-side, you may realise that things you thought were important to you, are actually not at the top of your list. For example, I assumed that ‘being happy’ would be part of my personal mission statement. But it turned out that other qualities rang more truthfully for me, and were more in line with where I actually want to be.

So once you’ve written your mission statement, how do you actually go about using it? Well! Start by writing or printing it out and sticking it someplace where you see it a lot. Say, next to your computer monitor or on your bathroom mirror. Read it every day, and remind yourself of the awesomery you have within you and that you want to align with.

Then, use it as a practical guidance tool. If I am struggling to determine, say, if a certain article will work on my blog, or if a certain chapter is right for my book, comparing it to the criterion of the mission statement is very helpful.

As a short, clear statement, it is also excellent for explaining clearly to other people why you do what you do. If you’re often told you need an ‘elevator pitch’ in your line of work, then your mission statement is an excellent place to start. And as for creating loyal customers/readers/employees etc, starting with the why can be the best tool. If you are doing what you are doing for the right reasons (which people can tell, by the way, regardless of the wording you use in your mission statement – insincerity smells loudly), if they believe in why you’re doing it, then they will willingly follow wherever you may lead. The flipside to this, of course, is that you have to follow through on your word. You have to actually tell a damn good story, and the truth. Or be bold and truthful and loving. If people can smell that you’re really writing to achieve money, fame or accolades then they will not be loyal followers or consumers. [Note: there's nothing wrong with money, fame and accolades. Go for them. But not at the expense of your true vision (or else adjust your vision!). You'll usually find that these things are natural flow-on effects from a job well (and authentically) done.]

So, do you have a mission statement? Have you ever used one before? Or do you wanna write your first one and share in the comments below? Your mission statement, should you choose to accept it, can stoke your heart-fire and guide your progress in a really amazing way. Give it a try!

♥

This post first appeared as a guest post on the gorgeous Jessica Nazarali’s blog Live Healthy Simply.

Images from Sarah Eileen + Twiddler House

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Jess • Filed Under: Inspiration, perspective • 5 Comments