So...the 7 Habits workshop is over in a physical sense, but it’s still with me. I have conducted the workshop more times than I can count, and you would think that it would be old to me or that I’d get tired of saying the same thing. But the workshop is based on some universal principles so by their very nature, their timeless.

I had never written out my mission statement prior to attending as a participant. It had little to do with lack of time, lack of motivation, or any other reasons people give for not writing out what kind of legacy they want to leave. I didn’t want to write it out for fear that 25 years from now, I’d read it and find out how I had done nothing towards achieving my goals and dreams in life.

Fear…what a horrible infliction. I find that it prevents me from fully living at times. I’m afraid of failing. Even failing at small tasks. Sometimes I wait until no one is around in the copy room at work because I don’t want anyone to see how many times I fail at using simple technology. So you can imagine how I feel about failing at anything of significance. It paralyzes me. I’m afraid of not meeting people’s expectations. I do set intensely high expectations for myself, but I hear it from others when they say, “I wouldn’t expect anything less than excellent/high quality/intensity from you, Nhung.” I wonder how people in my personal and professional life would respond if I admitted that not only can I be a major slacker, but that I even enjoy it at times. I know…the horrors.

Habit 2 is Begin with the End in Mind. Create a vision for yourself-not a vision for what you want from work, but your vision for your whole self in every capacity. I had this wonderful conversation with a colleague yesterday about why I have made certain choices in life related to where I live, what I do at work, and how I continue to persevere when life gets hard. There are many questions I stumble with and cannot answer. This one I know. I’ve written and re-written my mission statement no less than 19 times and know it by heart because it’s simply this: To serve God whenever, wherever, and however He needs me.

That may sound like an answer, but it means everything to me. I adore what I do professionally because I have the ability to walk alongside people as they develop from an individual contributor to a leader. Any of you who has been a leader, are a leader, work for a leader, or basically breathe-you recognize that this leadership journey can get messy and can encompass mistakes that impact people. I see the very best and the very worst in people at times, but I wouldn’t change it for any other role. This is how I’m called to serve during this season of life.

Do I love living in a city that seems to make all the lists for “Most Dangerous City to Live,” “Unhealthiest City to Live,” “City with Highest Rate of Infant Mortality, Obesity, Illiteracy, etc, etc…?” No, not always, but I am called to serve in the current role in this city so it’s a choice I make to (1) Not be afraid about crime because anything can happen to anyone on any given day, (2) see the beautiful aspects of the city, and (3) love the people in it.

I get to go home and serve there as a wife and mom, and you all know that is not a picnic. It’s wrought with unmet expectations and ridiculous frustrations, but I chose both of those roles because the good and beautiful experiences with my family so far outweigh the craziness.

I am joyfully content.

How about you?