I try to go skydiving as often as I can, and my local club is Skydive Express in York, about an hour’s drive east of Perth. I first met Mossy when he became partner in the businees at York, and got to know him pretty well over the couple of years he was there.
Some of the most interesting and informative skydive training I ever received was from Mossy, often late on a Friday or Saturday night after a few beers. I miss those “training” sessions.
One night Mossy asked me the best question that I reckon I have ever been asked in my life. He said, “Ian, I’ve got a question for you, I’m going to ask it, then I’m off to the toilet. I expect an answer when I get back.” He then asked me his question, and off he went, leaving me two drunken minutes to ponder my answer.
And I think it is a question to which we should all have an answer. All big corporations have an answer to this, and many smaller companies do too, and they are only talking about a business, not their lives.
The question was, “What is your life’s Mission Statement?”
If you have not come across the phrase before, check it out here:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_statement
I thought about my answer, and it came pretty easily, and when Mossy returned and asked me for an answer, I said, “Okay, my life’s Mission Statement is….”
Well, it doesn’t really matter what I said, but I would ask you the same question, “What is your life’s Mission Statement?” Take a couple of minutes to think about what your life really means, what your life is really about, what is really important to you, what you really want to achieve, what you really believe in.
I found my answer to be enlightening and liberating, and I think is almost certainly one of the main factors that set me off down the road that has led me to do what I am now doing.
Cheers Mossy, it was good seeing you again. Ian
Okay, okay, if you insist. My answer was, “My life is about experiencing as much as I can, and fitting in as much adventure as I can, without having any adverse impact on anyone else’s life.” When I asked Mossy what his Mission Statement was, it was very similar to mine, but I reckon he has got much closer to achieving it than I have, but I am busy trying to catch up!!