Personal Declaritive Statements

Today I want to talk about the importance of personal declarative statements.

What’s that? You might ask.

This is a concept I learned about from Craig Groeschel, a faith leader whom I respect and reference periodically.

He said there is a war on our minds, trying to convince us of narratives that are untrue and harmful. This is true, not just for leaders, but for everyone.

And because of this, we need to be reminded of what is true – we need to have the truth before us.

Personal declarative statements. Let me breakdown each of those three words: PDS.

P - Personal – these are not universal. They are personal to you – to you know you are, your passions, gifts, experiences, background, personality. What matters to you.

 D- Declarative – because there is a war over our minds, we need to make sure we have healthy and true self-narratives. And therefore, we need to regularly DECLARE these statements over our lives.

S- Statements – they are not questions (although you know I love questions). They are not suggestions. They are not even goals. And you know that goals are good.

 . . .

Let me also say this: they are not some woo woo mantras we say over our lives, like some hypnotic chant or zen-like approach. Not at all. They remind us of what we have resolutely committed to, allowing these truths to wash over us.

It’s not what we do as much as it is who we are. As leaders – and I would argue, as humans – we have to live into who we are.

I am a person of faith and a faith leader - so my faith is going to inform my PDS.

In a moment, I am going to share my Personal Declarative Statements that I declare over my life with regularity. It’s not every day, but it is often.

In fact, I have an index card taped to the side of my computer at my desk where I glance at it several times each week.

It takes me less than 40 seconds to recite. And yet, this took me about 6 months of intentional thought and reflection – and some tweaking along the way – to arrive at what I needed to declare over my life each and every day.  

You may say, “Why take all the effort to do that?”

It’s tempting to ask that. But, I will say this: it’s so powerful for me.

I have a confession to make: I do not have immense amounts of mental toughness. Those who know we well know that I am not someone prone to being mentally tough.

I get discouraged easiliy.

I am tempted to give up.

I believe a lot of lies about myself, others, God, and the world when there is hardship, setback, loss, failure, and rejection.

I can quickly lean into toxic self-narratives.

My score on the grit scale is not as high as I believe it should be for me.

I have a hard time receiving grace from God and others.

Which is why I need this so much in my life. For me, this is the frequent attempt to remind myself of what I need to stay in my lane, to do what I am called to do – and to ignore the rest.

Here are mine:

      Today I will….

·       Make meaningful connections

·       Be a sponge to soak up as much as I can in order to wring it out for the sake of others

·       Live with wisdom, courage and compassion

·       Receive and embrace the love and grace God extends to me

·       Ask questions of substance and significance of myself and others

·       Invest in things that truly matter

·       Developing leaders and making disciples is not what I do; it’s who I am.

·       Live with my arrows pointing out

·       Encourage, empower and affirm others today

·       Follow Christ and seek his kingdom first

Now, am I going to do all of these perfectly every single day. No.

But it sets the guardrails for how I will live my day, regardless of what tasks, meetings, activities or experiences I am a part of.

These help me remain anchored in a changing world, in a culture that is constantly trying to get me to be someone I am not, and gives me confidence to know how to steward my life well despite unrelenting uncertainty and disorienting change. It is my anchor foot that allows me pivot foot to move freely.

Let me be clear: these are less about goals and dreams, which often point to the future, and more about commitments and reminders for today.

It’s just for what I need for today.

Some of you may be intrigued by this exercise and want to begin. Here are a few suggestions of how you might start to do this:

[1] Think about the answer to these two questions: “What is my unique contribution to the world? Why was I put here on this earth?”

Those are not light and fluffy questions, I know! But they ARE worth your time and attention.  

Again, this may take you weeks or months to figure out. But they are crucial.

[2] Write down thoughts or phrases or words that you think embody who you are.

At the beginning, it doesn’t have to be articulate or completely clear. Just write them down – the notes section of your phone, an index card, a sticky note. Keep it close to you.

Talk to your friends, family, co-workers and ask them why they think you exist and what you bring to the world.  

[3] Over a period of time, see if you can create a list of 5-10 statements that, when you read them aloud, make you say to yourself, “Yes, this is who I am and this is what I need to do.”

Doing so, should bring your clarity.

It’s never instant – it takes time, like adjusting the lenses of a pair of binoculars.

 [4] Ask yourself – and then share your list with a few close friends or family members - and ask, “If I lived into these statements, do you believe I would be stewarding what is entrusted to me to the best of my ability?”  

[5] Write them down or print them out and keep them in a place – or a few places – where you look at it regularly. By your desk, or your nightstand or the bathroom mirror.

[6] Say these over your life.

Don’t just read them silently. Declare them aloud over your life. It matters. Sometimes for things to sink in, our ears need to hear what our mouths are saying. Say them aloud.