I Am One Person; I Have One Purpose.

I am one person.

I have one purpose.

I sat through a training last night in Cedar Rapids in which the speaker suggested that everyone write their own mission statement. A mission statement much the companies that you all work for have written. Keep the same things in mind...what is your purpose and what are you going to do to meet that expectation. So, like other things that I hear, i thought about this for a long time last night. Do I write a mission statement for Team Pump Princess? How about just for my family? Then I remembered the speaker specifically saying, "Write YOUR mission statement", so I knew that this was to be about me and me only.

I had to start with my purpose, which is easy and known by many of you, "A cure for juvenile diabetes". As I dug deeper, it's wasn't so much about finding a cure for diabetes as much as it was me fulfilling my promise to Micheala about doing everything I can to help in the efforts to find a cure for diabetes. So my purpose is my promise to Micheala.

What are the action steps that I need to take to meet my purpose? Daily? Hourly? This is when the flood gates of ideas opened up and I realized that even though my purpose was strong, my actions were weak. Do I talk about diabetes with people that ask me about it? Yes, but I don't approach people and tell them our story and what we are trying to do. Do I raise money every year for the walk? Yes, but I focus on one event that happens once a year rather than continuously make efforts to raise money year round. Do I believe in what I am doing? Yes, but I struggle to get others to feel the same. Question after question rolled through my head last night until I finally realized that I needed to hold myself accountable if I was truly going to reach my purpose.

So it was time to put something in writing.

The thoughts of many different ways to word this mission statement were rolling through my head. It has to sound professional and be specific. So I started composing in my head. I would get through the first sentence, then would fall short of the proper words to insert. I would start again, but run into another word road block. I was clearly trying to complicate something that shouldn't be so complicated. But it was complicated, this is the mission statement of my life. So after a long night of thought and a morning of agony, I came up with a mission statement. It is simple and spells out everything that I need to do to reach my purpose.

"I am one person. I have one purpose."

That's it. I am one person, but I am one person that knows what needs to be done. I know that a Kool-Aid stand in the middle of January may be necessary to assist in raising funds. I know that I need to advocate to everyone and that I need to stress every night about reaching our fundraising goals. I know that I can fuel my committee into raising money for JDRF and I know that I am a leader.

I have one purpose. My purpose is to fulfill the promise that I made to my daughter. I know that means doing whatever it takes. I know that means to be honest and to handle myself with professionalism and integrity. I know that I have other children counting on me to be an advocate for their cure. I know that I will have to volunteer and do extra things. I know my purpose and what it takes.

The accountability lies within my heart. Who do I let down if I don't follow through? I live with them.....I am them. ONE person with ONE purpose can change the world.

I am THAT person.

I have THAT purpose.