What Will They Say About You When...

A couple weeks ago, I attended my best friend's father's funeral. He died of heart failure at 70. I've been friends with Michelle since we were 8 years old... third grade. We are now 41, as of writing this blog post. Her family is my family. So, it was a very sad event. I cried for my best friend's loss and the pain her family was going through. Funerals are sad... no doubt... but I also believe they are beautiful. What was beautiful about the service wasn't the prayer or the singing... it was family and friends sitting together in love. Simple and open love. Love for each other. Love for their God. Love for the man they were laying to rest. He was buried next to a beautiful little chapel. It was picture perfect... so I took a picture! As, I listened to Michelle's sister and brother say amazing things about their father... I started to wonder... what will people say about me when I leave this world? What mark will I have made? Will I be easily forgotten? Will I have left a legacy? What difference will I make in this world now... so that future generations can benefit from my work? Maybe you haven't thought of this. Maybe you have. Maybe you don't think it's important. What is your purpose in life? What is your mission? What impact do you want to make on the world? This is a big question, but one that you should try to answer. When you begin to define your life's vision... your life's mission... your purpose... you give yourself a reason to get up each day to pursue it. You should be inspired by your purpose. You should feel compelled to take action towards it. I use the word should... but this isn't to make you feel bad if you don't know your purpose. I didn't even know people designed life mission statements until a couple years ago. And I've edited and tweaked my mission statement a few times. My mission is to empower people to design a crazy fun and happy life. That's what I want most. It inspires me everyday in my business. Your mission statement should almost sound like an affirmation. If I put ME in the statement... it comes out "I want to be empowered to design a crazy fun and happy life." I'm on my own personal mission as well! When I die... I want people from all over the world to speak to how I've inspired them to rediscover themselves... to design a life they love... to start their own business around their passions. I want thousands of people to testify to how their lives have transformed in a positive way since meeting me. I want to transform lives. If you don't know what your purpose is yet... that's ok. Oprah says it well when she says follow your passion in order to discover your purpose. For me... I love to inspire people... to influence positive thinking and shifting mindset. I love the creative process of designing a business around an interest or passion. I love to write, to teach and to learn. I love to have fun. When I apply all of these passions into my business... I feel happy... and I want to help people feel empowered to do the same for themselves. You have a special gift inside of you just waiting to be given to millions of people. YES. YOU. If you're stumped... check out Rick Warren's Book: The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Now I’d love to hear from you. In the comments below, tell me…. What is your purpose? What inspires you? Thousands of people come to this blog a month... your share may be just the spark they need to move forward in their journey. So, I'd love to hear from you. Jen Thoden PS. If you wondering why Michelle and I look happy in the photo... at a funeral... is because we WERE happy. At that moment... 2 best friends enjoying the chapel... we allowed ourselves to be happy and take a selfie. You may not be able to control your circumstances, but you CAN control how you act, react, feel and think.