This post is the next in a series of exercises to help you plan for the coming year.
First, some background: We are not alone in this world. We are all connected. This is not some metaphysical, new-age hype. This is physical reality. At the quantum level, you cannot tell where you end and someone else begins. My actions impact you; your actions impact me. Our actions are not limited by space or time. Chaos theory tells us that subtle changes in complex systems, given the right set of circumstances, can have far-reaching implications across time and space. As an individual, you are a complex system within an even more complex system we call society. When you make personal decisions, the world changes, not in some false-duality, where one has to change before the other changes, but simultaneously.
There are two parts to this exercise:
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Part 1: Meditate on the impact of your decisions on future generations.
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Part 2: Develop a personal mission statement
Part 1: Meditation
Get into a quiet space. Close your eyes and consider what you want your children's children 7 times down the line to say about your generation and the collective decisions you made. Imagine the world you would like to see them living in. Open your eyes and record your impressions. Take note of your feelings as they arise during this exercise.
Part 2: Your Personal Mission Statement
The cycle of life dictates that we all must pass on eventually. Develop a written, personal mission statement based on how you want to be remembered. This, coupled with your impressions from part 1 of this exercise, becomes the basis for all other life decisions.
Close your eyes and imagine your own funeral. All your friends, family, and co-workers are there. There are also acquaintances and people you have touched, but who didn't know you personally. What are these people saying about you? Listen closely. Open your eyes and write a bulleted list of the comments you "heard." This list becomes the basis for your mission statement. Using active voice, present tense, write your mission statement. It only needs to be one or two sentences. You should be able to remember it easily.
Tomorrow: Who are you?
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