Companies and organizations use mission statements to promote their purpose. It's their identification, their reason for existence.
At work, I am part of a committee that is dedicated to finding a mission statement for our organization. I have poured of several mission statements, depicting each word and phrase. I have broken down what our organization actually does and why we are an important entity.
Yesterday, I took a walk around campus to truly understand my our organization. I stopped at different buildings, hoping their presence would shed light some light on my task. I examined people that I passed, hoping to find meaning in their faces. At the end of my walk, it hit me. I realized what we were about and why we do what we do. I headed back to the office and presented my realizations to the group. We hammered out a mission statement and sent an email to our CEO, explaining each word.
Mission statements are an everlasting guiding light. They remind us of our purpose when we have lost of sight of it. They keep us moving forward when it seems so much is keeping us still. Companies and organizations are almost chaotic without one.
So why shouldn't our lives have mission statements, a reminder of why we are really here on this earth? I have decided to write a mission statement for my life. It will be my guide when I come to a cross roads and maybe it will help figure out what the heck I want to do with my life.
I think I am gonna play around with this for a few weeks and let you know how it goes. I need to really look at what's important to me and how I want to live my life. So much is coming to me right now that I am not sure I can verbalize it all. With that, I am gonna start thinking about this and, hopefully soon, I will have a mission for my-so-called life
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Monday, June 02, 2008
Election Madness
With a black man and white woman facing off each day for the Democratic Party nod, the 2008 presidential election will be an exciting chapter in future U.S. history classes. Not only has the race for America’s top job expanded its usual race and gender, more Americans than ever are deeply interested in the outcome. And rightfully so with two on-going wars, an economy that gets worse by the day, an environment that is stretched to its limit, several foreign enemies and eight previous years of awfulness.
This election will also have a specific imprint on South Dakota’s history, because for once, our voice matters. South Dakota is one of the last state’s to host both its Republican and Democratic primaries. Usually, both parties have selected their go-to-guy (or in this case, woman) and have turned their attention towards November. But not this year.
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are still waging daily wars for the Democratic nomination. Although Obama leads in delegates and the popular vote, he hasn’t clinched the nomination and Clinton refuses to give up. Most people are fed up with this race and a ready to move on, but South Dakotans are enjoying their moment in the spotlight.
Leading up to tomorrow’s primary, at least one of the Clintons – Hillary, Bill, Chelsea – have been campaigning in South Dakota. Obama has also made several stops throughout the major regions of the state. It’s not very often that our little state receives so much attention from a presidential candidate, or the national media, and frankly, it’s pretty cool.
Until the last few weeks, I have paid some but not much attention to the election. I had an extremely general idea of where each candidate stood, but for the most part, I was out of the loop. I tried to change that when the focus to turned to South Dakota. I was unable to make Clinton’s or Obama’s first stops to South Dakota. I did watch both speeches online and was more intrigued by Clinton’s policies and promises.
I had the opportunity to see Hillary in Brookings a few weeks ago, but because PR is often more important than true public service, I didn’t actually get to see her. They hosted her in an aluminum shed, about 400 yards from my sophomore on-campus apartment. Roughly 200 people were able to squeeze into this shed, while another 150 tried to get a glimpse of her from the outside. Lee and I didn’t plan accordingly so we were in the back and unable to see or hear anything.
I also made plans to see Bill and Chelsea in Flandrea, about 20 minutes south of Brookings this week, but those fell through when my brother came to visit.
On Sunday, I had one last opportunity to see Obama in Mitchell but wasn’t sure I was going to make the two-hour drive, until my father called. “This might be your only opportunity to see the next president of the United States,” he said. I took his advice and invited a friend along. The trip was an absolute success. I sat five feet away from him, shook his hand, received a hearty “Thank you” and smile from him and even got his autograph. I met some great Obama supporters and got a good close up of the unbelievably cute secret service men. Most importantly his speech was so incredibly inspiring that I got goosebumps. I truly believe that he is the man with plan. There is something so magnetic about him that you just believe he can change the nation.
Unfortunately, tomorrow is the primary and I cannot vote. South Dakota has closed primaries, and independent, that leaves me out. Some have asked me why I didn’t just change my party, but that would go against my morals. I refuse to belong to either party and would rather sit this primary out then associate myself to an elephant or a donkey.
Instead, I will encourage my fellow South Dakotas who can vote to make the choice they feel is right. No matter who wins tomorrow, Obama or Clinton, I will support him or her into November.
Around the 5th minute, you can see me
The Man with the Plan
Beck and I getting ready to see the future President of the United States of America
This election will also have a specific imprint on South Dakota’s history, because for once, our voice matters. South Dakota is one of the last state’s to host both its Republican and Democratic primaries. Usually, both parties have selected their go-to-guy (or in this case, woman) and have turned their attention towards November. But not this year.
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are still waging daily wars for the Democratic nomination. Although Obama leads in delegates and the popular vote, he hasn’t clinched the nomination and Clinton refuses to give up. Most people are fed up with this race and a ready to move on, but South Dakotans are enjoying their moment in the spotlight.
Leading up to tomorrow’s primary, at least one of the Clintons – Hillary, Bill, Chelsea – have been campaigning in South Dakota. Obama has also made several stops throughout the major regions of the state. It’s not very often that our little state receives so much attention from a presidential candidate, or the national media, and frankly, it’s pretty cool.
Until the last few weeks, I have paid some but not much attention to the election. I had an extremely general idea of where each candidate stood, but for the most part, I was out of the loop. I tried to change that when the focus to turned to South Dakota. I was unable to make Clinton’s or Obama’s first stops to South Dakota. I did watch both speeches online and was more intrigued by Clinton’s policies and promises.
I had the opportunity to see Hillary in Brookings a few weeks ago, but because PR is often more important than true public service, I didn’t actually get to see her. They hosted her in an aluminum shed, about 400 yards from my sophomore on-campus apartment. Roughly 200 people were able to squeeze into this shed, while another 150 tried to get a glimpse of her from the outside. Lee and I didn’t plan accordingly so we were in the back and unable to see or hear anything.
I also made plans to see Bill and Chelsea in Flandrea, about 20 minutes south of Brookings this week, but those fell through when my brother came to visit.
On Sunday, I had one last opportunity to see Obama in Mitchell but wasn’t sure I was going to make the two-hour drive, until my father called. “This might be your only opportunity to see the next president of the United States,” he said. I took his advice and invited a friend along. The trip was an absolute success. I sat five feet away from him, shook his hand, received a hearty “Thank you” and smile from him and even got his autograph. I met some great Obama supporters and got a good close up of the unbelievably cute secret service men. Most importantly his speech was so incredibly inspiring that I got goosebumps. I truly believe that he is the man with plan. There is something so magnetic about him that you just believe he can change the nation.
Unfortunately, tomorrow is the primary and I cannot vote. South Dakota has closed primaries, and independent, that leaves me out. Some have asked me why I didn’t just change my party, but that would go against my morals. I refuse to belong to either party and would rather sit this primary out then associate myself to an elephant or a donkey.
Instead, I will encourage my fellow South Dakotas who can vote to make the choice they feel is right. No matter who wins tomorrow, Obama or Clinton, I will support him or her into November.
Around the 5th minute, you can see me
The Man with the Plan
Beck and I getting ready to see the future President of the United States of America
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