Hajja Salesjana January-March 2020

22 H AJJA S ALESJANA down what she assumed would be a lengthy description of my own mission statement. “It is only two words, so there is no need to take notes.” I said, much to her bewilderment. “How can that be? I want to hear your mission statement and there is no way it is only two words!” I smiled at her and said: “If you will let me finish, I will tell you. My mission statement is simple: serve others.” Now she was totally flabbergasted! “I just don’t see how that can be your mission statement. Mine is almost two pages!” “Well, when I was in my 20’s, I probably had something that looked like yours. But, as I have grown older, I have embraced simplicity and come to realize that I get everything I need in this life by putting others before myself. By serving the needs of others I make a living and support my family through my coaching, consulting, books and speaking. I am part of a worthwhile mission by helping others achieve their full potential. Most importantly, I serve Christ by serving others. My company is called Serviam Partners and Serviam is Latin for ‘I Will Serve’. I love what I do and feel very fortunate to be so aligned with my mission.” She was speechless as she took all of this in. We never did review her two-page mission statement, but the next time we met she brought a one-paragraph version instead of the two-page version. This is progress and eventually we will whittle it down to a few words! I shared this story because knowing who you are and what you are called to do is a critical component of simplifying your life. When I was in my 20’s and 30’s, I was focused on climbing the corporate ladder as fast as possible with little understanding of what I would do when I reached the top. As I shared in my third book, ‘Something More: The Professionals Pursuit of a Meaningful Life’, I walked away from a senior executive role with a billion dollar restaurant company in my early 30’s to run a boutique national search firm and in 2013 I launched Serviam Partners which offers executive coaching and management consulting services to companies and senior leaders. These career moves were all intentional and part of my ever- increasing desire to simplify my life and fully tap into my skills and passions in the service of others. Probably the greatest revelation for me over the years has been the sense of peace and joy I feel which only comes from helping other people. Even though I always seek to know and do God’s will in my life, the time I most frequently feel close to achieving this is when I do something in the service of others. How do I serve other people? • As busy as I may be, I strive to make quality time for others. Photo: Louis Hansel from www.unsplash.com