On Shabbat we took a JICNY group to Crown Heights for Shabbat. We were privileged to hear Rabbi Simon Jacobson speak about having a purposeful life and he said that each person should know what their personal mission in life is. He spoke about the crises in our modern world with so many unhappy people and so many people relying on therapy. His suggested the anti-dote is that people should know what their personal mission in the world is – just like a business needs a business plan we need a personal mission statement.
This made me think. People always ask me why I choose to volunteer so many hundreds of hours each month to the JICNY and the Jewish community. People ask me why I don’t sleep or just chill. They ask why I am not satisfied with traveling to 70 plus countries or why I put in so much effort in maintaining relationships. I realized that my personal mission statement is “To live life to its fullest each and every day – to participate in communal life, engage in community activism for causes I care about, to travel and see the world, experience theater, food and cultures, dance at every wedding I can, engage in meaningful conversations, build deep and lasting friendships, be a role model to my children and create a home that they love living in, to have an excellent marriage, and to literally use every moment of the day.
We invest so many hours in a business plan for the bank, a presentation for the board, an itinerary for our next trip, the menu for our next Shabbat dinner. I wonder how many of us have stopped to think about our own mission statement . This clarity will no doubt provide the vision that guides you as a mom and wife. It will help you make choices and reflect on decisions. It will help you and your families have a meaningful and purpose driven life – the real key to happiness.
Originally published: March 26, 2014