More love. Different Post.

As long as I’ve known Christine, this is her. She has a never ending desire to inspire. So it’s fitting that this is the title of her new book. And it’s fitting that this isn’t just a book about Christine, but a book filled with insight and inspiration from twenty incredible creative women who share the same desire.

I often think back to our very first lunch that turned into hours of conversation that same afternoon. From the moment I met Christine, she was inspiring me, encouraging me to keep going on my journey as an artist. And these were the days, not so long ago, where honestly I did not know if, or how I was going to make it. I had a new friend ~ she had been where I was,  she believed in me ~ she was the first to share my podcast with her friends, buy one of my daily paintings and I think that she also left the first comment on my very first blog post. Those moments of support ~ and all the one’s between then and now ~you never forget.

So when you get a chance to offer some in return, you jump at the opportunity. Run, don’t walk to get this book. Filled with people I adore, who inspire me ~ I’ve flipped through the pages and it is beautiful in every possible. I would expect nothing less from Christine. In fact you may remember when she self-published her first book, Ordinary Sparkling Moments,  and the podcast we did talking about that experience.

Today, Christine is sharing an excerpt from her book and she is also giving away this gorgeous journal to one of you! Just leave a comment below, before the end of the day this Friday 11:59 PST.  You can just say hello or if you feel inspired, share what is inspiring you right now and how you most want to inspire others. 

Desire to Inspire: Using Creative Passion to Transform the World – is a collection of stories, exercises, images, quotes, and anecdotes from twenty extraordinary contributors, all sharing insights and experiences of how they create a meaningful life and, in turn, make a positive impact on the world. Each chapter discusses a different aspect of living a passion-fueled life, and this month Christine is offering a 60-Second Snapshot of each chapter as part of her Desire to Inspire Virtual Book Tour. 

A snapshot of  Chapter 10 ~ Declarations & Intentions, by Christine Mason Miller

“I have been working with mission statements throughout my adult life…Each has been in important tool regardless of the context because it provides, if nothing else, a marker I can always turn to for guidance.” ~Desire to Inspire

The day I began writing to Desire to Inspire, I created a one-sentence mission statement that I placed in front of my computer, where it stayed until the day the book was finished. Anytime I started to worry I might miss a deadline, or become fearful that what I was writing was meaningless, I turned to that mission statement, which read:

My goal is for the book to sell well because it is fulfilling its deeper mission - to inspire those who read it.

The mere act of selling as many books as possible was not why I was writing the book, but I incorporated this aspect of the publishing process into my mission statement as a way to honor that left-brained side of myself that loves practical details. While I understand that even if Desire to Inspire is, indeed, considered an inspiring creation by a community of readers, it still might not sell well, it was important that my mission statement reflect the foundation of Desire to Inspire as well as the more measureable, nuts and bolts component of book sales.

A mission statement does not need to be lengthy or complicated, it does not need to include bullet point lists or color-coded charts. All it needs to be is a guidepost – a marker to remind you of what really matters in whatever endeavor you are pursuing. A light at the top of a lighthouse, guiding you home every time.