Mine Alone to Do

The prayer of the Life-Crafter

Help me to do only that which is mine.
Help me to seek until I find that which I alone was fashioned to do.
Let me not wander in the wilderness of others’ pursuits,
Wondering if I am to do what they do and seek what they seek.
Let me answer solely to that calling for which I was made,
That legacy which I alone can leave to this world.

May I, having determined to find my destiny, seek it unrelentingly.
Entering gladly the solitude in which alone it can be heard,
May I linger long in that silence, shutting out all else,
Until the treasured whispers of that sound come to me.
May I listen again and again until I hear that Voice within me.
Calling to my heart to do what waits to be done.

And once having heard and made it my sacred study,
Having determined that this and only this is my task,
Let me set myself to accomplish it fully, straying not from the path,
Heeding not the allurements of others’ success,
The trappings of convention, or what is newly fashionable.
My gaze ever unwinking on that which I have come to do.

This shall be my passion, my only goal in life and work:
To serve that end for which each part of me is fitted,
To bring into the world that which only I can create.
And when my life is at an end, and I look back
To see what was wrought by That which in me worked,
Emptied of toil, I’ll know the meaning of fulfillment.

-- Jim Ballard


Finally, this is better, that one do
His own task as he may, even though he fail,
Than take tasks not his own though they
seem good.
To die performing duty is no ill;
But who seeks other roads shall wander still.

-- The Song Celestial, Bhagavad Gita

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Most Important Thing

For those of us who are old enough to recall a time when the world wasn’t moving so fast, the speed-up of change can resemble a tsunami that’s rolled over us, tearing our little boats away from their moorings. Afloat in unknown waters, without the familiar landmarks and home ports, we can truly feel adrift and rudderless. If we do set a course, seems we’re at the mercy of any storm that comes up.


Navigating to achieve success with our goals is less like motoring (where you head your boat for a destination and get there in a straight line) and more like sailing, where you must go indirectly, more or less dependent on the way the breeze is blowing at any one time. Sailing requires skill in reading the wind, changing directions by shifting sails and rudder. It’s a matter of balancing control and surrender -- cooperating with, rather than doing battle with, the sudden shifts of fortune. The smart ones among us, when finding themselves out of their depth like this, turn within and develop “in-here” anchors that can give us the stability we used to find by looking “out-there.”

The main thing, of course, is to know where you’re going, and that’s much harder to handle these days if your attention is fixed “out-there”, outside your skin. But again, an inward focus on those inner unchangeables—values, purpose, integrity—can bring you through any storm.

The most important thing in life, after all, is what it always was: to know what the most important thing in life is.

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You can find someone who's "got your back" in keeping focus on the most important things by visiting www.myjimballard.com

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What’s Your Dream?

Over the years I’ve asked the question “What’s your dream?” to hundreds of people—friends, new acquaintances, seat-mates on planes, waitresses, cab-drivers. Two things I’ve noticed in the process:

1. They always tell.
2. Their eyes go up and to my left.

Occasionally someone will rattle off her/his aspirations right away, but that’s rare. Most hem and haw a bit before they get into it. Others seem to be making it up on the spot. I think the question gets anyone thinking.

Asking people about their dreams makes them into storytellers. I’m always careful to listen carefully and show respect and belief in these stories. I encourage them, and many have said that telling their dream makes it seem realer and more possible of fulfillment. Plus, I often share an idea or refer the dream-teller to a book, article or person that might further their aspiration.

A second question I often ask, if it’s appropriate, is. “What have you done or are you doing to make that dream happen?” This is not to put people on the spot, but I’ve got a coach’s mentality so I enjoy giving anybody a little "cosmic goose" along the way.

I’ve also used the question as a training exercise, having people get together in pairs and take turns asking and answering the question. Some interesting things have come out of that. Some have had their work teams and families share dreams. One man reported that he’d gone home, told his wife his dream, and asked her about hers. “Neither of us knew the other’s dream,” he said. “Now we can support each other in making our dreams come true.”

So, asking people -- even those you know well -- about their dreams can be revealing and rewarding. Why not give it a try?

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