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Reflection by Heidi Lackmann for Sunday Service – 9/30/2018
“Vision” is “the practice of intentional imagination.” I’ve been doing a lot of that lately and am pleased to have this opportunity to share a reflection.
Back in June I attended a Mission Statement workshop as part of my job. We were encouraged to examine our “why” and write one sentence describing our life purpose. I refined a statement I had written a few summers ago, but hadn’t been fully living. Now my words are concise and active; I can recite my purpose statement from memory, and I consider each day whether I am
living in alignment with my mission, which is:
To connect with other seekers to create lives of intention.
To me the meaning in life comes from relationships – connecting with others who are curious and engaged is energizing! I believe in asking questions, exploring together, and finding synergy. I don’t want to let my life just happen – that feels careless & wasteful to me. Instead I want to actively guide it toward personal and family goals, taking in new experiences as fuel to make myself a better person and make the world a better place.
My mentor at work pushed me to think about HOW I am living up to my mission. I shared a couple tangible examples:
I enjoy group exercise and yoga, encouraging others with my mantra “You can’t do today’s workout tomorrow.”
I made the decision to attend the UUA General Assembly with Todd’s cousin, so we could re-connect and also engage with other UUs.
My advisor then asked me, “What else?” I took a deep breath and decided to divulge a wild idea that has been brewing within our family for at least 10 years…to go on a 3-month “sabbatical”…to New Zealand. I brainstormed and shared a list of pros and cons and the outcome was clear, “Why wouldn’t we do this?” I realized the time was “now or never” – I needed to step into my mission and be intentional about our dream.
We addressed the two biggest barriers: Could Tevka & Torin be away for three months of high school without missing required curriculum?
And then: Would Businessolver allow me to take a leave of absence?
Both responses were “Yes”!
Asking these questions took focus and courage, but I discovered that being clear on what’s important to me, and knowing it fits my mission, makes it much easier to be bold about pursuing our family vision of shared time away from day-to-day life. We booked tickets two weeks ago for our 3-month stay in New Zealand – we’ll depart on December 24th and turn up Down Under the day after Christmas.
Tevka, Torin, Todd & I are looking forward to an unforgettable adventure. Of course I’m excited to have the opportunity to refresh my perspective before the next stage of life.
I know we’ll have challenges and surprises, but that’s all part of the journey. I’ll remain centered by relying on my mission statement for direction while we’re in New Zealand, knowing that what I care about most is connecting with other seekers to create lives of intention.
Lackmann Nuggets 