Journaling Exercises: Everyone
Write to Your Future Self
Want to remind yourself of the goals that you've set during your time at APU? Remember that day in high school when you wrote yourself a letter about where you thought you'd be a year (two years? more?) later which was later delivered to you at a future date? Now you can write yourself an email to be delivered to you in 2010, 2025, and beyond.
Go to www.futureme.org and write yourself an email or two. Ask yourself some of these questions or write your own, "Am I married?" "Do I find my job fulfilling?" "Do I keep putting off my true joy in life?" "Have the Cubs won the World Series?"
What do you want to ask your future self?
A Mission Statement for Your Life
Take a few moments and make a list of the values, interests, and goals that are important to you. Now weave these items into a written mission statement for your life. Remember that mission statements point you toward a lofty purpose, so think big. Revisit this mission statement once a week throughout the rest of the year.
Calling
It has been said: "We don’t necessarily discover our calling . . . it shows itself through our life journey and all we have to do is pay attention."
Journal and reflect upon this statement as it resonates with your experiences at APU.
Searching
What would the world be like — what would I be like — if we all lived our lives and approached our careers as though "working for the Lord" Would I be different? Would the world be different?
Who am I? Whose am I? Who am I called to be? Who am I and who do I really want to become?
Success
“Success: To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people, and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty; To find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, Whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you lived.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
What are your views of success? What is your motivation to work toward your future career? How will your work serve to advance the cause of Christ and His Church? Are you willing to consider career choices that involve full-time service in the church or parachurch organizations?
