Mission Statement
Mission Statement by debgrant
Mission statements have probably been around forever. I have not researched the history. Not sure I want to. I know that it wasn’t a part of my childhood. It seemed to surface in adulthood. One of those trendy corporate things. Like power ties. Three martini lunches. Trophy wives. And then there came mission statements. A corporate way of getting everyone on board. Everyone understanding what boat they were in and where the boat was going and their purpose in it. Suddenly everyone needed a mission statement. Something to hang on a wall in a corporate meeting room or reception area. Surrounded by two potted fichus trees. Developing mission statements became its own industry. Helping companies write mission statements. Experts were born. The mission statement of a mission statement company was to propagate mission statements like rabbits as if it were mission of rabbits to keep the metaphor going.
Okay, back to mission statements. I was distracted by the bunnies.
And then came individual mission statements. The purpose-driven life. What!? You don’t have a purpose? Quick, get one. Hurry! Without one we might fall into the growing vortex of insignificance and join the compost heap that keeps our planet from looking like Mars right now. Maybe that is our purpose. To maintain the Earth’s unique blue marble pattern in a solar system that is one in a bazillion other solar systems.
Somedays my purpose is serving my dog and bird. Somedays my purpose is holding space for people to talk freely without fear.
Today my purpose, my mission statement is to be at peace inside my own skin at least enough so that I don’t make other people or creatures miserable. I like it. Lofty but do-able. I’ll have a calligrapher write it on fine paper and frame it. I will put it on my wall. Between two big fichus trees and regard it from time to time.
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