A mission statement for my blog?? Hmmmmm....

When I first started my blog, way back in 2007, I'm not sure what I expected it to be about, exactly. I'd had two before this one, and I now have several other personal and business blogs, but this one is special somehow.

Even so, I wasn't really making it all it could be. Months would go by without more than a post or two. Sometimes none. I would read other people's blogs, but not comment. I did not really participate in the communities the way I did for some other blogs I own.

But about two months ago, I decided it was commit to it or leave it alone. I could not have it half hearted any more.

So I started reading and commenting and playing along with other art blogs or spiritual blogs. My posts became more regular. And I gave the site a facelift. A major one, not just changing the background images or fonts like I did in the past.

And then today, I read a post on The Blooming Wildflowers Project about getting passionate about a blog's success! And that is exactly what I've been doing.

Christie suggested starting with a mission statement...so I dug out my old one for this blog -- and it was gone!! In my redesign, somehow my metadata had vanished! Aggghhhh! And I do SEO for a living!

So in gratitude to Christie for writing her post, which inspired me to write mine, which forced me to look at (or for) my old mission statement, which resulted in me finding the missing metadata which I am putting back after writing this post......whew!! After ALL of that, here is my new and better mission statement!

This, That and The Other is the reflection of my life, my spirit, my view of the world. It is a collection of sometimes rambling, sometimes surprisingly insightful comments on my kids, my faith, my art, my place on the planet, my new marriage, my old friends and the twisting, rock-strewn, tree shaded, always interesting road that brought me to this place and time. I hope it provides inspiration for those who need it, laughter for those who weep, food for thought for those hungry for new ideas, and a place of growth and learning for me.

Like Tabitha at The Knitting Journeyman Redux who found that the idea of a clear mission statement made her think, the assignment (and the missing metadata!) made me pay attention to why I spend a portion of every single day writing to people I may never see.. Made me focus. Thank you, Christie, for the serendipity and the inspiration!

Working on my goals...

I know how important it is to have goals.  And I know that paying attention to those goals is essential for success.

So in a spirit of combining the Mussar technique of writing about and then working on our weaknesses or issues, and the Stephen Covey model of "Begin with the end in mind", I have started a goal journal.  I divided it into sections for the most important areas of my life...family & marriage, spirit, finance, career, art & creativity, health & fitness, home & surroundings, knowledge and experience.  (Covey Model of "First Things First")

In each section, I have written one goal -- one item that I really think is weak or missing or needs work.

Each day, I will write SOMETHING in each section.  A word.  A sentence.  Or draw an image.  Just to keep me paying attention to the goal everyday (Mussar model of keeping the work areas in front of our consciousness.)

Do I expect miraculous transformations?  Transformations, definitely. That is the point.  Even the process and the journey are transformational.

But miracles?  Maybe that too. Because changing something essential in our lives is a bit of a miracle. It requires that we stop and focus long enough to evaluate our issues, identify a goal level, and work towards it.  It also requires faith that G-d and the universe are cheering us on...and that -- that alone -- is a miracle. And becoming more of the person I was meant to be in this lifetime?  A definite miracle :-)

Dream house? Why not?

The other day, I posted a link to my dream house on my Facebook wall. It's a beautiful home in Boulder. The view?  Well, you can see the view.  Perfect. Just perfect.

So why did I post it?  It's not that I have $2 million in the bank, and can buy it today.  I posted it because I could at some point, have 2 million in the bank.  Or 10 million. Who knows? I posted it because it's good to dream, and to remind ourselves what it is we dream about.

It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day, focusing only on meetings at work, the grocery shopping list and what the kids need to do for homework.  Days, weeks, months or even years can pass by without us lifting up our heads (or our hearts) long enough to look at where we're going in life -- or remembering where we want to go. Some people forget their dreams for decades, only to realize one day, maybe when this life is almost over, what they once wanted to do and be but never got around to trying.

So here is my challenge for you today.  Take some time and think about something you want.  Something you dreamed about.  Make it a big dream. It could be a trip you wanted to take.  A degree you wanted to complete. Or a house on a mountain side you wanted to own. Find a picture that represents your dream, and post it somewhere.  On your wall, your door, your bulletin board or your Facebook wall. Tell the world what you dream about.  And then -- and here is the really important part -- tell yourself about it. Feel it. Dream it. Make it real, and see it happening.  Dare to challenge the universe -- and yourself -- to make it happen.

Dreams do come true.  But first you have to have the dream.  Happy dreaming!