"Life Mission Statements," as penned by my Seniors

Some of my favorites:

My mission in life is to live a life of JOY-- not a joy that is circumstantial, but a joy that is founded on my relationship with Christ. I desire that this joy will leak into every area of my life-- in friendships, in love, in working, and in the midst of difficult circumstances. I want joy to be a lifestyle-- a way that I live and a way that people recognize me.

I want to live something worth writing about, and better yet, worth reading.

DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND NEVER FALL PREY TO OTHER PEOPLE'S WORDS OF DISCOURAGEMENT.

My life's purpose is to do exactly what is not expected of me and has never been done before, because I know without a shadow of a doubt that God's plan for my life has nothing to do with what the rest of the world wants me to be.

- To laugh and smile until I have disgusting face wrinkles.
- To read like Belle or my grandpa.
- To love the ignored/bullied (since I used to know how they feel.)
- To be loyal... like a well trained dog.
- To travel like nobody's business.

Be yourself. You can't be yourself if you don't know, understand, and accept yourself first. Stop caring how people perceive you. Be honest and open. Relax, stop worrying about the worst thing that could happen. Develop and express your individuality. Have productive days. Believe in who you are. Follow your own style.

Throughout my life I plan on being unique rather than follow what other people do. I also plan on having fun as well as influencing people in a positive way.

To live a life that, "rather than [seeking] money, than love, than fame, [seeks] truth." (Henry David Thoreau) To live for Christ alone and the truth He proclaims is the mission. May it be successful.

Continue to have joy and wonder like a child.

I want to live my life not for myself, but for God and others. A life of self-gratification means nothing... I want to be a friend that builds people up and makes them feel better.

To love like a puppy.

My life statement is to live life the way you wanna live it and live it to the fullest. There are so many times in life that people hold back what they really wanna do because they are afraid. You should never let anyone or anything get in your way.

- Never shut my brain down; always look for new things to learn.
- Chase after a life well-lived, not a "good life."
- Place others before myself. In everything.

Some that I don't really agree with, but that got a raised eyebrow and, at times, a grin:

Violence should always be your last resort. If it isn't, then you aren't using enough of it.

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day; take his fish away and tell him he's lucky to be alive, and he'll figure out a way to catch a fish for you to take tomorrow.

To have abbs like the girl from "Step Up 2"-- HIDDEN ABBS! [sic]

There is a verse in the Bible that says, whatever you do, do to your best ability. I would take that mentality one step further and say: whatever you do, do it better than everyone else.

Don't take anything seriously, it's just a waste of time. BE REAL!

Curious? Here's mine:

- To spread goodness and cheer like Santa Claus
- To fight for justice like Wonder Woman
- To adventure like Magellan
- To think like Solomon
- To love like Juliet

But if I had to boil it down to one simple sentence (as I've asked my Seniors to do...) it would be:

To see as He sees,
To love as He loves.

What about you?