I recently overheard a conversation among some of our young grandchildren. One of them apparently used the word stupid. Eight-year-old Nicholas, recently baptized, commented that perhaps one should not say that, as it was a “bad word.” It was evident that there had been some good influence from Mom and Dad. I know there had been similar discussions about other expressions. Now some might think that these are small matters compared to the far more foul and demeaning expressions all around us. Yet, in small and in great ways, our words are creating an atmosphere in which we build or demolish. I recently commented to a friend from New York City that I thought the atmosphere had improved markedly in the city over the past years and wondered why. He noted that his wife is a municipal judge, and they were enforcing the little things, like ordinances against spitting and jaywalking, and the big things were being affected thereby. So in our daily speech and acts of edification, the Lord said, we invite the spirit of truth and righteousness in which we “may chase darkness from among [us]” (D&C 50:25). Robert S. Wood, 10/99 conference
I believe that we do see great effects of small and simple righteous things: FHE, scripture reading, and family prayer (even if they are with loud, rambunctious or contentious children). I figure each one of those actions is like a nail in my ark. Sometimes, the nails are just hammered in with a little more fiesty-ness than others :)...and sometimes I hammer with so little focus, energy, or with a little too much frustration and the nail gets bent...but I digress :).(Of course, we can also see the negative effects of small and simple negative things as well, but, for now, I am focusing on the positive, since that is what I want in my life.)
Similarly reading the book "7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens," I was re-introduced to the power of mission statements. Throughout our time with Amway in our early married years, in different leadership and improvement seminars, self-help books or videos that I have attended, read, and seen over the years, I have heard about the power of mission statements. "Yeah, yeah, yeah..." I would tell myself. "Later..." It was small. It seemed like some little exercise that might do a little something, but I needed serious help!
Well, while reading the 7 Habits book with Avot and Lek, I challenged all of us to write our own mission statement before the next class, like the author said to do. Next class came, and none of us, including me, had done it yet!
So I said, "Alright, Mr. Covey says it doesn't have to be fancy or anything...just do it! We're going to take a few minutes and just write down those things that are most important in either our lives right now or things we think are important to work toward."Lek did his own thing, as usual :), and Avot and I wrote.
Since then, I have started reading it almost every day, tweaking it, editing it, and refining it here and there, but reading it. Sometimes I say it sleepily to myself when I am not yet quite awake, sometimes I do it with very little faith or enthusiasm when faced with all my faults, but I do it.
And I am changing. I am becoming that person in my mission statement! Small and simple thing.
Here are a couple things that I think make it powerful:
-it is in the "I" viewpoint, what I have control over. Mission statements don't say things like: "My kids always listen to me and clean up after themselves." Rather, it would have to be something like, "I take the time to listen to my kids and model how to clean up after myself." It gives you ownership and direction in what YOU can do.
-You are telling your brain something positive about yourself and/or your potential and/or your life daily, something to counteract all the negativity people like me tell themselves. (It's especially powerful if you look in the mirror while you do it.)
-Your brain starts believing you.
Small and simple things, baby. That's the way to go! I can do it, one drop of awesome at a time...
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