A Return to Mission and The Crooked Path
Updated: Aug 4
Direction Determines Destination
In my book, Along the Crooked Path, the intention was to give you hope and get you started moving towards what you truly desire, towards becoming the highest version of yourself. The intention in my second book, Back On The Crooked Path, was to keep you going. Now that you are outside of your comfort zone... Don’t stop. Keep moving. My focus lately has been on the topic of alignment. To keep you on track and aligned on your path so that you can manifest that life you desire.
What are some of the requirements for an aligned life?
Reevaluating what you want, where you are going, and what you are doing. Asking yourself questions like... What are your values? Are you living consistent with them? Is that getting you to where you would like to go? If not, it is time to repurpose your path.
Considering the fact that as individuals, we are part of something that is much bigger than ourselves. That there is a big picture and figuring out where we fit in. We are all here for a reason.
Deciding in advance how you are going live and how you are going to be in order to get where you are going. What will your approach be? What do you stand for? How do you want to show up for yourself and for others?
What is your focus? What will your focus be? What is the source of your safety, direction, judgment, and strength? Where is your heart?
Understanding and acknowledging that there are undeniable truths that exist. You may not like them or agree with them, but life enforces them just the same. You can’t escape the consequences of breaking them. Undeniable truths define a path that is aligned.
Understanding that our paths are spiritual journeys, on which we experience spiritual growth, which is really the framework within which we live our lives, and is not necessarily religious
Looking back on our paths and seeing how everything is connected. How one event led to another. Events are like dots, and many of the dots on our paths are pivotal moments, and we get to choose the line that we draw from each of them.
Realizing the ripple effect that people have had on our paths, positive or negative. And taking responsibility for the ripples that we create moving forward.
This is not a process. These are all pieces of a puzzle. Considering all of these pieces can serve as a basis, as we reflect on our mission and why we are here, and ultimately allow us to draft a personal mission statement that is authentic and aligned.
There are so many different ways of looking at the same thing, the same event, or the same experience. People see and interpret things differently based on their mindset and what they focus on. What we focus on fundamentally affects us and our relationships. It affects what drives us, our decision-making, and what we do or don't do each day. And that is why understanding what your focus is, is so important. If your focus does not cause you to follow your aligned path, then it is essential that you make necessary changes so that it will.
When you focus on undeniable truths that uplift... That will cause you to stand out. Undeniable truths are solid. They don’t change. We can respond to the situation and not react. We can choose the best response by looking at the whole picture and our place in it. Considering your own needs, as well as the needs of others. You are more likely to see things clearly and come up with the best alternative when you understand and focus on undeniable truths.
The alternative that you choose is not the biggest part of your decision. The most important part is the process. There are several significant differences when your focus is based on undeniable truths compared to a focus that is not. You are making decisions from a deeper foundation compared to making decisions based primarily on circumstance, emotion, or external influences. When your focus is based on undeniable truths, you tend to approach life differently compared to someone who does not. Here are some of the contrasts...
When you make decisions guided by undeniable truths, you are seeking alignment. You ask yourself, “Is this consistent with who I want to be and my values?” Compared to seeking advantage. With the determining factor being what benefits you the most right now.
You consider the long-term consequences. Recognizing that your choices have a ripple effect on others, as well as your future self. Decisions not guided by undeniable truths tend to focus on immediate outcomes. Prioritizing comfort, pleasure, relief, or short-term gain.
You balance self-interest with responsibility. Understanding that caring for oneself and caring for others is connected. You seek the best possible outcome for all parties. You do not operate from self-protection. Making decisions driven by fear, ego, status, or personal gain.
You accept uncomfortable truths. Being willing to admit mistakes, shift gears, change direction, and grow. You do not deny, rationalize, blame, or defend in order to preserve any sense of you being right.
You recognize the interconnectedness of people and things. Understanding that your choices affect others, rather seeing your choices simply in how they impact you.
Other characteristics of a focus based on undeniable truths are... Responding rather than reacting... Seeing people as valuable, rather than simply useful... Pursuing meaning and purpose, rather than simply personal achievement and satisfaction... Embracing humility, realizing that you may not see the whole picture, rather than assuming that your perspective is complete, accurate, and unquestionable. And finally, you look inward first... Considering your role and your responsibility in the situation, rather than looking outward, assigning blame, or looking for a scapegoat.
What Is The Right Thing To Do, Given What You Know to Be True?
Generally, a person guided by undeniable truths asks, “What is the right thing to do given what I know to be true?” A person guided primarily by circumstance asks, “What do I want, what do I fear, or what benefits me most?” A person who has internalized deeper truths no longer simply follows rules because they were taught them or that is the way things have always been done. They begin making choices because those truths have become part of their identity.
When you anchor yourself in undeniable truths, your perspective begins to shift. You no
longer see life only through the lens of circumstances, emotions, or uncertainty; you begin to see with greater clarity and wisdom. That clarity shapes your thoughts, your decisions, and your actions. Because you are rooted in a strong and steady core, you develop the inner safety, direction, judgment, and strength needed to navigate your path with purpose and with confidence.
It is time to return to your mission and the idea of creating your own personal mission statement. In Along the Crooked Path, I said if you want to understand something, write about it, and then discussed the many benefits of writing as it relates to your journey. In Back On The Crooked Path, I suggested the idea of drafting and writing your own personal mission statement. A written declaration where you define what matters most to you based on your values, passions, the important people in your life, and your goals. Imagine the benefits of having gone through the process to draft your mission and then have it available to you as a daily reminder of where you are going and how you are going to get there.
Now, I know what some of you are thinking...
I can see the benefits of writing, but... I am not a writer. I don’t like writing.
I pick up a pen and my mind goes blank. I can never find the right words.
I am more visual... I think in terms of images, not words.
I like simplicity... Something that is short, sweet, and symbolic.
Mission statement sounds too corporate.
I am more into designing things and not writing.
I am more of a storyteller... I am better at weaving a story, rather than making a declaration.
And you may just have no idea where or how to start.
You may be musical... You may be into photography, videography, or graphic design. You may be a systems analyst, flowchart sort of person.
The great news is that the value is not in any written mission statement itself. The value is in the process of clarifying your identity, values, focus, direction, and purpose. A written statement is simply a way of capturing the outcome. And there are a number of other ways of capturing that outcome.
For some people, words are natural containers for meaning. For others, meaning is better expressed through images, symbols, movement, music, or physical representation. Your personal mission does not have to be a paragraph. It doesn’t have to be words. It simply needs to be something that reminds you of who you are, what matters most, and the direction you want to move toward.
Here are some other approaches you can use to express your mission -
Personal Vision Board (A Visual Mission) - Instead of writing out a mission statement, you could create a collage of images, words, colors, and symbols that represent -
Who you want to become
What you value most
The relationships that you want to cultivate
The experiences you want to have.
The impact that you want to make.
The final product becomes a visual reminder of your “why.” Get out the old magazines, photo albums, scissors, and glue sticks and go to work. Or maybe more appropriate... start googling, checking out your flash drives full of your photos, download your favorite graphic design app, and start copy-pasting, cropping, and editing.
Personal Compass – Create a compass with the four directions. Draw one, or find an image somewhere. Each direction represents a section, as follows...
North represents Purpose - What am I moving toward?
South represents Foundations - What keeps me grounded?
East represents Growth - How am I becoming better?
West represents Values - What principles guide your decisions?
Personal Declaration - Some might think that this is not much different than a mission statement. The difference is that it is softer and less rigid. You could start it out with words such as -
I am someone who...
I believe...
I value...
I commit to...
I will no longer...
You don't have to write it out. You can make an audio or video recording.
A Symbol or Personal Logo – If your life purpose could be symbolized, what would it look like? This is for the artists. Create a drawing, an emblem, a sculpture, a piece of jewelry... How about a design for a tattoo?
Put thought into how and why what you design or what you have chosen represents your path. Many cultures have used symbols for centuries. Symbols can communicate things that words cannot
A Personal Story or Future Biography – Some people understand themselves better through a narrative. This could be similar to writing your own eulogy.
What kind of person were you?
How did people feel when they were around you?
What did you stand for?
What difference did you make?
A Personal Playlist or Soundtrack – I could get into this. Music can be incredibly powerful and meaningful. It can remind us of where we have been, where we are, and where we would like to go. Music calms, heals, resonates, and inspires.
Create a playlist or soundtrack that represents:
Where you have been
Who you are becoming
What gives you strength
What you stand for
What reminds you of your purpose
A Personal Movie Trailer - This is for the creatives... If your life was a movie and you were creating the trailer, what would the narrator say? Include:
The theme of your life
Challenges that you have overcome
The person that you are becoming
The adventure that is ahead
A Life Map or Path - Draw a path and include the following -
Starting point: Where have I been?
Rest stops: What have I learned?
Mountains: What challenges shaped me?
Crossroads: What decisions changed me?
Destination: What am I moving toward?
Compass: What guides me?
The completed map becomes a visual mission statement.
A Flowchart - For the systems analysts, a flowchart is an effective way to express your mission because it emphasizes process, decisions, and direction rather than just a destination. It also aligns well with the idea that life is dynamic and that our mission is lived through a series of choices. Rather than asking, "What is my mission?" a flowchart asks, "How do I live my mission?" Standard flowchart symbols could be used to add meaning.
There are so many ways that you can conceptualize... Who you are... What matters most... Where you are going... And, who you want to be.
Whatever approach you take in this exercise, it will require you to go deep within yourself to listen to your intuition and get in touch with your soul. As you do that, you will get a deeper understanding of what your focus has been and then realign your focus so that it is in harmony with undeniable truths. When you do that, you create a solid foundation and a much clearer lens through which you view the world. Then you can decide how you can best move forward on your path. You will have a greater awareness of your unique gifts and how you can best use them.
Having gone through this exercise and by bringing your mission to life, you can have an
appreciation of owning your path and focusing on what you can control. Focusing on what is in our Aura of Impact. That is where growth is. When we focus on what is within our Aura of Impact, that is where we increase our skills, abilities, capabilities, capacity, knowledge, understanding, empathy, compassion, and our world view. That is where meaning and purpose can be detected. It makes no sense to focus on what is in our Aura of Irrelevance. That is a total waste of our time and of our gifts. The more that you spend time there, the more you are not owning your path, you lose control and live according to an agenda other than your own. An agenda that is someone else's and not yours.
Your meaning is within you. It has been instilled in you by the Creator. And life is asking us to discover exactly what that meaning is. Your mission statement is the First Creation for how you will live your life. When you develop your mission statement, you are owning your path. Owning your path is at the core of your First Creations. You are the programmer. Your mission statement is the program. It has everything to do with responsibility. And until you truly accept that you are responsible for your path... That you own your path... You will not feel empowered or dedicated to create a personal mission that truly represents who you are, who you are becoming, and where you are going.
Your mission is not something that you can come up with in one sit down session. It takes
self-reflection, self-examination, soul-searching, and self-analysis. It takes contemplation, reflection, and quiet thinking. Really, it takes a lot of navel-gazing. It will take many edits, drafts, tweaks, and rewrites before you can arrive at something that is in a form that you are comfortable with and confident in that fully represents what truly matters most to you, where you are going, and who you are becoming. Once you get there, it will remain a living and breathing document that will be subject to adjustment as you move along your path. Circumstances change, and we gain insights and knowledge as we grow, and that needs to be reflected in our mission.
I recall the process I went through years ago when I made the first attempt at writing my mission statement. I recently came across my notes from that process and they covered several pages. They were the result of mental brainstorming... Responding to prompts... Reviewing lists of values... Listing important people in my life and significant roles that I had. Contemplating where I had been and where I was going. How did I reduce all of that paper and word salad down into a succinct and meaningful statement? I would do that by going through the process and peeling back the layers. I wish I had the finished product of my first attempt at writing my mission to present to you here, but it has gotten lost in the chaos of my path along the way. I have gone through the process a few times since and have a new mission statement that I review at least once a week. I will attach it at the bottom of this page for your review and information. It has been subject to revision and tweaks as well and will continue to be poked and prodded at, as things change. But it is something that I feel fully represents me and where I am going. Much more than anything I had written in the past. As much as I wanted to, I never fully owned my path back then. It was a battle. It is a battle. I sought attachment through so many things and people, when really I should have been attached to me and my mission. I lost sight of my vision and my mission many, many times, and I have no question that caused me to get off course when I disregarded it. I am at a point now where all the things and people I was attached to have fallen away and my mission is pretty well embodied. I for sure have my moments. You never truly get there. Your most important work is always ahead of you.
You, Who Are On The Road, Must Have a Code That You Can Live By - from Teach Your Children - Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young
The code that you live by is your personal mission statement. It is an accurate representation of who you are, where you are going, who and what you love, and what you value. It is the standard against which everything in your life and everything that you encounter along your path is measured.
I can attest that going through this process is emotional, inspirational, and empowering. It will provide you with such a sense of clarity, hope, excitement, understanding, and freedom. Don’t obsess about the final product. Don’t put pressure on yourself to come up with something immediately. Don’t overthink it. Again, the value is not in the finished product itself. The value is in the process you go through. The process changes you because you are forced to think of what matters most to you. To think all of these things through. To align your beliefs and your behaviors. To get all of these things in alignment. That mindset in itself is ninety percent of the battle.
A result of going through the process of drafting your mission statement is that people will begin to notice the change in you. They will see that you are not reactive or driven by other people, things, or whatever is happening around you. They will sense that you are driven by something internally that money cannot buy and that others cannot touch. That you have a sense of certainty about who you are, where you are going, and what you are wanting to accomplish. You have an abundant attitude that is contagious and people are drawn to that. They can’t help but get caught up in your mission, your vision, and your excitement.
What you are really doing when you create your personal mission statement is manifesting.
You are manifesting your destiny. You are mentally rehearsing who you are and where you are going. And the result is that you create it. Getting something from the mind to the real world is manifestation. That is what manifestation is. As long as it remains in your mind, it has not manifested. It is a vision that you have. Just a dream. You need to speak it out, so you can hear it. You need to put it down on paper, so you can see it. That gives form to what is in your mind. You need to get it out and get it down. If it remains in your mind, your mind can change. We get distracted. Our minds wander. We forget. But once something is written down, it stays.
Don’t keep your dream locked inside. Say it out loud and write it boldly. You are bringing who you are to life. When you put it on paper, you are showing that you are serious. You are giving your dreams and your vision a place to land. Your dream doesn’t become real until you give it a place to land. The moment you speak it and write it, something shifts. You aren’t just wishing anymore. You are choosing. You are writing your verse in that play called life. It’s not perfection. It is not a quick fix. It is a decision. A declaration. A dream that is written in faith and not fear. Let what you want and desire breathe and exist outside of your mind.
Creating A Personal Mission Statement – The process of creating an empowering personal mission statement is so powerful. There are so many different ways of approaching it. When you factor in the approach and the individual, you can get a wide range of results.
When taking a first stab at writing their statement, the tendency for most people is to approach it from a logical perspective. They include measurements, numbers, tasks, and dates. It can look like they may be trying to impress whoever might see it. A To-Do List that they hope to turn into a list of accomplishments. Almost having a performance appraisal feel to it. More transactional than transformational.
Logic rules and the creative, instinctive, soulful, and artistic side of who we are is downplayed or ignored. In doing so, we disregard so much of our potential. A truly empowering mission statement is the result of an exercise of creative imagination. Many of the options that I listed earlier really for creating your statement tap into your right brain and require you to imagine and visualize. Creating and embodying an empowering mission statement will take time and emotional investment, and in order to do that, you have to turn and look inward.
You need to get in touch with your soul and who you are. That is where we connect with our unique human capabilities of Self-Awareness, Discernment, Drive, and Creativity. It is all of these capabilities that allow us to create an empowering vision and mission that allows us to live in alignment with who we truly are and where we are going.
When we look inward, we can use our capability of self-awareness to examine our desires and our potential and then embody them at the most basic level. We can analyze our mindset and our focus and be honest about how they are helping or hindering us in moving forwards. What is our “why”? What are our motives? And then to be highly aware of our soul, which is the source of our discernment.
Our discernment ties us to the uniqueness of our soul and is the connection to our creator. As we use the capability of discernment, we tap into the blueprint placed there by God and His unique will for our lives. We can tap into our uniqueness. The things that only we can do and the contributions that only we can make in the situations that we uniquely face and in the lives of the most important people in our lives. The influence that we can have in the lives of our children, our partner or spouse, our friends, in the workplace, or in the community. Your contribution to these people and in these areas is something that no one else can do. Your mission is waiting within you to be discovered.
A reminder of what Viktor Frankl said... Everyone has their own specific vocation or mission in life, to carry out a concrete assignment which demands fulfillment. They cannot be replaced, nor can their lives be repeated. Everyone’s task is unique, as well as their specific opportunity to implement that task.
Connecting with our soul and drawing on our discernment allows us to access that bigger why in our lives. We can’t access that in the hustle, bustle, and transactions of everyday life. There is too much going on. Too much busyness. Too many conflicting agendas.
Discernment not only puts us in touch with our own uniqueness, but it also connects us with the universal and undeniable truths that create quality of life. We can use our discernment to align what matters most and our actions with undeniable truths. Ensuring that who we are and where we are going are consistent with those truths.
Our unique capability of creativity allows us to visualize and bring our vision to life through our mission statement. It is the first creation before the writing. The mental blueprint before the second creation.
And then we use our creativity to imagine ourselves living our mission. At home and at work. When we are exhausted and when we are energized. When we face obstacles and when the way is clear. We truly are in a state of manifesting our best life because our mindset, our narrative, and our actions are all aligned.
Finally, as we put our mission into action, we use our unique capability of drive. Especially on those days where it seems we are going against the grain, obstacles constantly appear, and we are tempted to cave and fall back into old patterns or habits. Our bigger why gives our drive that extra gear. Without it, drive is simply pedal-to-the-metal... Bear down... Plow through it. Grab the steering wheel and grip it tightly. But the bigger why turbo-charges your drive. The ride is smoother. You can loosen your grip. For stretches, you can turn on cruise control and enjoy the ride. The ride is smoother, you navigate the obstacles with more ease, and you wonder how you ever accomplished anything before you went through the process of articulating your mission.
As you do the inner work to create your mission statement, it is not only empowering... It is liberating. With your soul being the source, it really is a sacred document. The Bible states that those who are free are free indeed. And that is what a fully embodied mission and mission statement will do for you. It provides you with profound and unshakeable liberation. Not just from external circumstances and what is going on around you, but from internal burdens such as guilt, shame, and misaligned behavior that holds you back and gets you off course. This genuine and authentic freedom, rooted in undeniable and universal truths, can bring deep peace to your daily life. True freedom comes from within and isn’t dependent on the world around you.
True North exists. And the biggest confirmation and endorsement of this is the fact that
when you are truly aligned with undeniable truths and they are reflected in your vision and mission, True North is where it points, and True North is where it leads. And this crosses cultures, religions, ethnicities, and races. Regardless of who you are or where you come from, when you do this work, you access True North.
I have intentionally not given you a formula or a step-by-step process to follow when developing your mission statement. Tools are available to those who need that structure. Just a google search away, or a trip down to the local bookstore or library. What I have tried to do is describe the mindset, the source, and the raw materials that go into any formula, method, or process you might use. That is what is important. Be creative. You are the potter and all of these things are the clay.
There are certain common characteristics that are present in the most liberating, empowering, and inspiring mission statements. Use this list as a guide as you write, develop, and evaluate yours. Let your mission statement...
Be an expression of your unique gifts and reflects your distinct ability to make a meaningful contribution
Reflect the deepest and best parts of who you are. It grows from a strong connection to your inner life.
Take into consideration and embody our basic human needs in terms of physical health, social connection and community, mental health, and spiritual growth.
Be uplifting. Based on undeniable truths such as service, altruism, and purpose outside of oneself.
Be consistent with your vision and your values. Your destination (your vision or where you are going) must be consistent with your direction (your values or your guiding principles). Your direction determines your destination. Life follows the direction of the path that you are actually walking. You just don’t magically arrive at the destination that you are hoping for. The means determine the ends. Direction is always the determining factor. Direction always wins.
Be based on undeniable truths that lead to a fulfilled, purposeful, and aligned life
Be personally challenging, meant to inspire you and not awe or dazzle someone else. It resonates with you and causes you to level up in every way
Be seamless and transparent throughout all the different chapters and stages of your life. The hats you wear and your roles may change, but your inner core remains constant, consistent, and changeless.
Creating and living an inspiring and liberating mission statement has a significant impact on how we spend our time. When it comes to managing our time, it is silly to obsess about doing things faster before we consider where we are going. Or trying to be more efficient, when in terms of the big picture, we are being wasteful. Direction determines your destination. Vision is the force that fuels everything else in our lives. Without vision, the people perish. Your direction has a destination tied to it. It is actually quite simple. If you don’t like your destination... Where you are going... Where you are ending up... If it is not aligned with the vision you have for your life... Then you need a new direction. Changing your direction, changes your destination. It is all about alignment.
When you choose a new direction, you choose a new destination. When you choose to walk on the path that you should have been walking on all along, you go in the direction that you wanted to go in all along. And we discover the unique purpose we have that is ours to contribute. It empowers us to manage our lives focusing on the things that inspire, uplift, and move us forward toward where we want to be. Focusing on what matters most. Taking the time to go through the exercise of developing and clarifying your mission is one of the highest leverage investments that we can make in ourselves. When we create harmony in our minds and in our hearts, that is when we will find it in our lives. The inner creates the outer... Always.
As we live our lives aligned with our mission, we will realize that the most important ripple effect that we can create is that of our vision. What we pay forward in terms of our faith and our vision affects not only our children. But also your children’s children, other family, friends, colleagues, and even strangers and people that we don’t even know, in terms of how they see themselves, why they are here, and the difference that they could make. Thereby enhancing, nourishing, and expanding the quality of life for us all, as you transfer your mission to the moment... On the Crooked Path.
Try This Exercise -
Additional Documents -
AfterNotes -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFhIeHyXGOI I Got A Name - Jim Croce
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