Discovering Your Motivating Mission

To begin with let’s be very clear about where our motivating mission comes
from. Any one can find a goal that they can hang their hat on but to truly
create something that is motivating, you’ll have to dig much deeper than just
finding a goal. A truly motivating mission comes from deeper, more hidden
parts of our soul. Michelangelo used to teach that each of his different
masterpieces (The David for example) were not created, but discovered. He
believed that the masterpiece already existed inside of the slab of marble.
His job as an artist wasn’t to create the masterpiece, but to uncover it, to
remove the excess marble. Our job then in trying to identify our motivating
mission is similar. We are not supposed to go out and invent or create some
incredible masterpiece which will impress everyone else, but instead we need
to uncover our unique purpose and gift to the world. We need to detect what
it is we can uniquely offer and to remove the excess from our life. The key to
detection is to simply relax, remove the deadlines, the expectations and the
goals of having a mission and begin to just let the mission come to you. Start
listening to the quiet peace inside of you which will guide you to your higher
purpose. Here are five places to look for inspiration to find your motivating
mission; they are your Head, Heart, Hands, Home and Hopes

Heads That See

This is the logical part of creating your motivating mission. This is where you
get very practical view about who you are; your talents, gifts, abilities and
self-awareness. Use your own sense of your self to discern both your
strengths and your weaknesses. Identify what you do well and where you
struggle. Notice what people discuss when they compliment you, what do
people bring up when talking to you? Identify what you do in your free time
and what you call a hobby. Become aware of your preferences socially. Are
you outgoing or shy? Are you creative or logical? Are you more spontaneous
or disciplined? One key to having a motivating mission is it has to be
something that tests you and you like to do or do naturally, that way the
pursuit to improve yourself in it will constantly create motivation.

· What have my unique talents, gifts and abilities prepared me to offer
the world?

Imagine that I had a magic wand and could make the wishes of your
heart come true? But instead of wishing for specific things like a house, boat
or money you could only wish for certain feelings to be felt continuously.
What feelings would you go after? What are the feelings that matter most to
you? Do you long for a feeling of peace in your life, confidence, hope? How
about a feeling of more energy, drive and desire? Do you want to feel more
accomplished, loved, secure or confident? What are the feelings that you
notice most easily or are hardest to pick up on? In the end, what does your
heart keep reminding you is important? What feelings truly matter most to
you in the deepest corners of your heart?

· How do I want to feel and influence others to feel when I am around
them?

Hands That Serve

The next area we’ll go to for insight into our motivating mission is in
the Hands or service area. Do you have the hands to lift and serve others? If
you had all of the time, resources and benefits you needed to do nothing but
serve other people, what kind of service would bring you the most joy? What
work would you want to do with your life that would renew your soul
everyday? How would you want to improve the world around you? Would you
choose to work with children or seniors, the healthy or afflicted? Would you
like your service to keep you at home or send you abroad? What existing
service are you providing that tends to motivate you? Do you volunteer at
church or school or with family members and what are the joys of service you
feel in your life? Where are your hands most needed? Whose lives need your
hands to lift them to higher ground and how?

· Whose life could improve or be made better if I just gave a hand?

Homes That Love

To continue the search for our motivating mission we must also look to
the relationships that are most important to you. Think of the people you
love to have around you, your children and grandchildren, your spouse and
parents. In reality there tends to be nothing more motivating in the hearts
and minds of a person than their family relationships. Use the feelings and
desires for the legacy you want to leave your family to help you uncover your
most important mission. What impact have these people had on your life and
what lesson do these people need you to teach them? What do you want your
family to be able to say about you at your funeral? What memories do you
want your family to remember most about how you lived and loved them?
What are the most important lessons that you want your children and
grandchildren to learn, that only you can really teach them? What really
matters most about your family?

· What do you want your family members to say about how you lived and
loved in life?

Hopes that Inspire

The final way to find a motivating mission is to identify what are the
highest values, principles and beliefs you wish to become. Let’s say a
television crew called you and wanted to interview you for a story that they
were doing and only had three questions to ask you. They wanted you to
think about it ahead of time because your answers needed to be concise.
How would you answer the following three questions? Notice when you’re
answering them what happens to your heart? Do you see clarity in your
purpose in life?

· What is your single greatest hope in this life?

· What are you doing today to make your hope a reality?

In the end the process of uncovering your motivating mission is not
something that is accomplished overnight, or by simply answering a few
questions. The change must take place deep in your heart. Use the questions
we’ve reviewed here to begin to open up your heads, hearts, hands, homes
and hopes. Live your lessons daily and you’ll begin to see the mission and
purpose appear.