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Your Life’s Assignment

September 15, 2017.

My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord. Acts 20:24

When I was just out of school, I had the “perfect plan” for my life. I would marry the perfect man, have the perfect children, live a perfect life. It’s almost laughable when I think about it now, but clearly –– I was pursuing my own comfort and dreams.

As believers, God calls us to seek His purpose for our lives – not pursue a trouble-free life on earth. Trouble-free lives are not only unrealistic, they’re not at all reflective of God’s plan and purpose for our lives.

God has a divine assignment for each of us. To miss that assignment in life is to miss the opportunity of a lifetime. God’s plans always exceed anything we could ever dream up for ourselves. As children of God, we are gifted and called by Him to make His name famous and glorify Him in our sphere of influence.

To succeed, we must first seek God’s will through careful prayer and consideration, then focus on cooperating with Him to fulfill it. Rather than chasing after money or depending solely on our own talents, we ought to pursue His calling and desires for our life. After all, that’s where we’ll find our greatest joy and strength.

To help us discover our Life Assignment, ask yourself the following questions:

1. What are your talents? Consider abilities and qualities you have that go all the way back to childhood. God places desires, interests, and abilities in us before we are born. What is the one thing you’re really good at doing? Track your reoccurring themes and dreams to the present. What theme is underscored in your life? Pray and ask God to help you uncover what He’s put inside you and how He wants you to use it.

2. Why do you do what you do? There’s a big difference between doing something because we’ve stumbled into it, or because we’ve been pressured or influenced by family or friends, and doing something because we believe God has called us to do it. When we consider why we do what we do, we analyze our motives and can make a conscious choice to let go of selfish desires in order to pursue our Life Assignment.

3. What do you not do well? Identifying what we’re called to do often demands we discover what we’re not called to do. When we eliminate things we don’t do well, and accept our limitations, we remove needless distractions in order to go after our Life Assignment.

Remember –– prayer is the critical cornerstone. Always seek God will through prayer and ask Him for wisdom and direction.

Lastly, it’s important to recognize that God always calls us to places where He is working. So, keep your eyes open and look for a place where God is clearing a path and opening a door.

Are you pursuing your God-given Life Assignment and are you willing to give it all you’ve got?

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Five Steps to Finding Your Life Purpose

Look no further. it's time to discover your life purpose..

Posted December 12, 2017 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

Why is it so hard to find our life purpose? There certainly is no short supply of problems in this world that need solving. There is no limit on the number of people whom we could help, or inspire, or support. There is no cap on the number of passions we could pursue. Yet, our life purpose often feels hard to pursue.

There are many reasons why you may not know your life purpose (take the well-being quiz to see what might be holding you back). Sometimes it's because the world's problems seem too big. Or we seem too small. Or maybe we are just exhausted from life and don't know where we'll find the energy to fight for what really matters to us. But finding and living our purpose is key to having a meaningful, fulfilling life, so I certainly strive to help people insert purpose into their lives. (Here's my purpose-driven business program if you need help applying your purpose to your business).

I also talk a lot about how to find life purpose and meaning in my new book, Outsmart Your Smartphone . Here are some of the key steps I suggest to get started exploring your purpose.

Step 1: Find out what drives you.

When I was a teenager, I was at a party and came upon a friend of mine. Her head was cast downward, her bangs were in front of her eyes, and she was squeezing her hand into a tight fist. As I approached, I noticed something red on her hand. It was blood!

I rushed over to her, grabbing her hand, demanding that she let me help her. Finally, after much prodding, she opened her hand. Laying in her palm was a piece of glass, glass that she had been squeezing as hard as she possibly could.

It was then I realized that she was intentionally making her hand bleed. She was so unhappy that she squeezed that piece of glass until blood was dripping on the floor. I didn’t know it at the time, but this moment was the first in a series of moments that would show me my life's purpose.

In the years that followed, I saw the scars of self-burning, the glazed-over eyes that come with extensive drug use, and the skin that hangs off a body that is being intentionally starved. I witnessed the depths of depression and the heights of mania , suicide attempts and near overdoses. It turns out that a person can only see so much pain before becoming driven to stop it. Or at least that's what happened to me.

So one way to find your purpose is to ask yourself: What pain or injustice or un happiness have you witnessed that you just can't live with? Is there anything that touches you so deeply that it drives you? Often, a powerful purpose can come from powerful pain.

Step 2: Find out what energizes you.

It was a sunny but cool spring morning. I had just started my shift at the addiction rehab center where I worked. As usual, I went to the backyard to make sure none of the teenagers were smoking on the back roof. One of them was, so I told him to go back inside. He spent the next eight hours cussing at me, right up until the moment my shift ended.

This was the day I learned that you can burn out your life purpose if you pursue it in the wrong ways — ways that deplete rather than energize you. It is not enough to know the problem you want to solve; you have to think carefully about the way that you want to solve it .

So to find your life purpose, ask yourself: What energizes you?

Step 3: Find out what you are willing to sacrifice for.

Feeling deflated and defeated after working at the addiction rehab center, I paused to ask myself what I really wanted to do. I don't know about you, but often I think I want to do something, but I don't end up following through or putting in the work required to succeed — a sign that whatever it was, it wasn't really important enough to me to sacrifice for.

This time was different, though. I decided I wanted to go to graduate school to study emotion and mental health to figure out how , exactly, to solve the mental health issues I saw all around me.

This time, I listened to GRE words on my iPod during my lunch break at work. I volunteered in a research lab on my days off. I studied and wrote and learned until I passed out from exhaustion while preparing my graduate school applications.

This willingness to sacrifice didn't end when I got into graduate school. I worked relentlessly to the point of burnout . Now, I'm not recommending that you sacrifice to the point of burnout. All I'm saying is that when you find something that you are willing to sacrifice a lot for, you know that you've found your purpose.

So ask yourself: What are you willing to sacrifice for?

Step 4: Find out who you want to help.

I have taught hundreds of students across four different universities, developed well-being-boosting products , and helped organizations create programs and positive technologies that have reached more than a million people worldwide. But perhaps the biggest impact I had was when I mentored a student my first year in graduate school. Always eager to learn, she'd smile big, excited about each new project and responsibility. At the end of our time working together, she became the first person in her family to graduate college.

Even though most psychology Ph.D.'s help students in universities, help customers or employees in companies, or help clients as therapists, I feel most in line with my life purpose when I support the change-makers: the people who will make this world a happier, healthier, better place. In fact, most of my work now focuses on doing just this: helping entrepreneurs build products and businesses that make a real difference.

To find your life purpose, ask yourself: Who do you want to help? There are many ways to chip away at the same problem, and it's up to you to find out who you want to help. By figuring out the specific person or people you want to help, you can more easily find your purpose.

Step 5: Find out how you want to help.

When I first started working with entrepreneurs , I helped in any way I could. I conducted research, ran statistics, and created surveys. This is what I knew and was good at, but it didn't energize me (remember Step 2). As I acquired more and more clients with different needs, I found a real passion for product development and content creation. Yup! I like to write and like to create. I'm even sitting here on a Saturday afternoon writing this article ... because I feel like it.

Ask yourself: What do you love to do? And how do you apply this passion to your purpose? To find your purpose, you need to figure out how you can best use your passions and skills to achieve your unique goals and solve your unique problems .

Taking the steps to find your life purpose

Finding your life purpose is a lifelong journey. It's OK to take it one step at a time. It's normal to pause and reevaluate long-term goals regularly. And it's OK to feel overwhelmed. Nothing worth doing is easy, and this will not always be easy.

You will encounter frustrations and challenges along the way. Some days, you'll throw your hands up in the air in defeat. But then you'll remember Step 1. You're driven to solve this problem, and for some reason, you won't let yourself give up.

Originally published on BerkeleyWellBeing.com .

Tchiki Davis, Ph.D. , is a consultant, writer, and expert on well-being technology.

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How to fulfill your life’s assignment

By: Johan du Toit
August 8, 2017
No Comments

Understanding your life’s purpose is one of the most important aspect of a Christian’s life. We know that we are not here to live for ourselves, and then die. God has something much greater in mind for us!

For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. Romans 14:7-8

Since we live for the Lord, we make it our business to find out what He expects of us. Looking at how we are put together, we recognize some skills, gifts and talents that we have been blessed with. Some of these might be small, seem insignificant, be buried under bad experiences and opinions of others, but still, they exist. Our gifting might be an indication of what we ought to do for the Lord, and it is up to ourselves to develop what we see, and apply it in service to the Lord and others.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

God, in His great love for humanity and His desire to see all men come to salvation through Jesus Christ, does not play games by making it hard to understand what He expects of us. He actually makes it easy so that we don’t have to waste our time to discover our assignment. He equips us for service, and then gives us a desire to do go about it.

…for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13

Notice how God works in us to to do His pleasure after we worked out our salvation by obeying Him in reverential fear. The will of God is not a mystery!

Having said all of the above, it remains a real struggle for many believers to recognize their assignment, consequently they spend most of their lives seeking God’s will for them. The devil knows that a believer who focuses on God’s will is a powerful force that is hard to resist, so he does what needs to be done to slow them down, or stop them, if he can. He uses confusion, uncertainty and all kinds of distractions very effectively against followers of the Lord. A lifelong seeker is no threat to him!

The first step into the will of God is to understand that you are saved to serve. Nobody gets saved for the sole purpose of going to heaven; we are here to make investments for eternity.

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:9-10

God has no hands, feet or voice on earth, except ours. Our assignment is to do His work while we are here on the earth.

A good second step might be to locate yourself in the Body of Christ, as explained in Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. You have a specific function to fulfill. Report for duty by speaking to your pastor about your purpose, and work with him on the practical issues. Remember always that you will not accomplish anything worthwhile without faith. There will be questions, obstacles and challenges.

Thirdly, develop what you have by putting it into practice. Nurture the seed in you, and grow it to fruition. There is a need for what you have. The best advice always comes from the source, which, in this case, is the Word of God. You cannot be effective if you don’t understand God’s plans, and the more time your spend on feeding on the Word, the clearer the picture will get.

Finding clarity about your life’s purpose is a good fourth step. You cannot attend to all the needs you see around you, and you cannot do everything that needs to be done. The old saying, “if you chase two rabbits, you catch neither,” is true. Your assignment might change as you grow, but you can only focus on one thing at a time. Paul, the apostle, gives some good advice in this regard:

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14

Lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus laid hold of you.

Do one thing, reach forward to things ahead, and press toward the goal of the upward call.

You cannot be scatter-brained about the things of God. Answer His call. It is not about models, methods, brands, titles or appearances – it is applying your faith in obedience to His voice in your inner man. Never try to copy some other person; God did not make copies, everyone is an original and unique. It is pure foolishness to copy the ways of another person, no matter how successful they are. We can learn from one another, but you will miss God’s best if you try to live someone els’ life.

Work hard to be the best that you can be, remembering that you are your own opposition. Fight against your unbelief, overcome your fears, rise above the opinions of others, discipline your flesh and bring it into subjection to your spirit man.

The greatest reward is not what people can give you; it is not the accolades of men or their monetary gifts, it is the words of the Master when He welcomes you with, “Well done, My good and faithful servant…”

Many will not envy the way you live; the hardest thing in life is to explain your call to someone who didn’t hear His voice in your spirit.

Answering God’s call is not for the faint of heart; average man never accomplishes anything. Expect resistance if you plan to take spoils from the devil. Some of the most painful blows might even come from those in your corner. Decide never to be led by disappointment, discouragement, adverse circumstances or trouble, but only by the Spirit of the Lord. Be faithful in all things.

Lastly, surround yourself with people of like precious faith. Nobody can fulfill their assignment alone; we all need help because nobody has everything that is required to successfully complete the work.

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How To Create Your Life Map and Empower Yourself Today

In Why Am I Here? by Nathan To March 9, 2018 6 Comments

One of the most powerful reflections exercise I’ve ever done is called a Life Map. I see it as a helpful exercise of self-care during a tough time. In seasons of grieving , it offers a visual way to really dive into how I’m perceiving my life, and where I might want to take it from this moment forward.

There are all sorts of difference Life Maps we could do. Some reflect on what you perceive to be your key life milestones. That could be defined as those life obstacles and significant successes that stand out to you in your own life story.

While putting together this post, I came across a few nice examples of what a “Life Map” could look like. The picture below is something I actually added to my mental health-related Pinterest boards . I have no idea who Christa is, but her Life Map appeared on both my Google and Pinterest searches, without any backlinks to where it came from. I haven’t been able to find Christa’s website online, so Christa, if you read this, please do contact me so I can properly reference you and give you a backlink.

Image of life map: shows linear timeline of events related to social responsibility

Christa’s Life Map via Pinterest

Other Life Maps spin-off from that idea, but with a more spiritual orientation. Specifically, a spiritually-oriented map might highlight the role of the Divine in your life. For example, you can see how Reverend Mark Wheeler highlights the “Hand of God” in key life events on his life map from a Christian perspective.

Image of Life Map from Christian perspective: a graph of significant life events and role of God in them

Image of Pastor Mark Wheeler’s Life Map via his blog, “ On Target “

Here’s another life map example from good ol’ Oprah , courtesy of life coach Cheryl Richardson . This one is created out of different physical materials and pasted together into a unique collage. You can use magazines, catalogues, extra flyers and brochures you have laying around, pieces of the bag carrying your Meow Mix for your cat or absolutely anything you wish.

To be honest, I believe these are all fantastic.

That’s because the most important part of doing a life map is the act of doing and creating; the key is the self-reflection process itself.

Specifically, reflecting on how you’re currently perceiving your past influences how you’re living your present.

As you “observe” this (through the actual “doing” of the Life Map), you give yourself a powerful opportunity to choose how you want to author your future.

For me, the one I first learned to do was during an assignment for my Counselling Psychology class almost a decade ago. That’s the one I’ll be focused on here.

To be quite honest, I haven’t done a full, complete one in a long while (though I’ve done outlines, and never got around to finishing them). But after some recent eureka moments about my life purpose, I realized that it was time to, once again, do the hard work of intentionally deconstructing the problematic story that I tell myself. While/After doing that, I could also begin re-constructing (or “re-storying” in narrative therapy approach), the more life-giving story I’d like to tell myself.

The fascinating thing about a life map is that it invites us to observe and engage our own lives from multiple perspectives. It’s like being able to weave in and out of a birds-eye perspective and seeing the whole image of our life map in front of our eyes.

By gazing into my past, present, and future, my reflections offer me an opportunity to remember and validate my identity formation, and intentionally reflect on who I was, who I am, and who I hope to be.

A small disclaimer: Don’t be surprised if this life map makes you cry, smile, laugh, want to rip it apart, or inspire you with a gratitude for your life story (and all its ups and downs) in the deepest parts of your soul. It’s possible that you might feel all sorts of emotions while doing this. Of course, it also might not. Really, either way, is fine.

Such is the power and unpredictability of a raw and honest exercise of self-reflection.

So, here’s how you can do a life map too. To keep things simple, I’ll be providing instructions for life maps that you can do via drawing by hand.

The first phase consists of 6 preparatory steps.

PART 1: PREPARATION

Prepare Writing:

Find those pens or markers or pencil and paper or notebook if you’re doing this on paper.
Create time. Leave aside 30 minutes — 1 hour. You can always do less or more, but this is just a general guideline to thoughtfully reflect on the course of your life, its high and low points, as well as stable times.

PART 2: BRAINSTORM & LIST EVERYTHING DOWN.

3. What might have been some Key Obstacles in Your Life?

These could be challenges or obstacles that people might encounter when they take a trip or journey. Items on this list might include: stop signs, speed bumps, traffic lights, dead ends, detours, highways, tolls, rest stops, etc.

For example, a dead end might represent a decision that did not yield the desired result.

4. What have been some Milestone Successes in your life?

These are things that you might be proud of. For example, these might be the “green lights” of life, the serendipitous surprises, and whatever other life events make you happy.

E.g. A green light might represent getting approval to move ahead.

LIST EVERYTHING DOWN

5. Go ahead and just list out as many things as you can from your brainstorm.

During this time of reflection, list life events on a notepad first, keeping the below guidelines in mind:

Include experiences that influenced your life and later successes, both positive and negative.
A general rule of thumb is that we perceive significant life events at least every other year or so. For example, if you are 40 years old, you may have between 15 to 20 life-shaping shifts.

6. If possible, try to include both negative events as well as positive ones. But there’s not hard and fast rule to this. If you d notice yourself including more negative ones, do note that for your later reflections after you’ve finished drawing your life map. If you notice yourself putting in more positive ones, please also note this in your reflections too.

7. Imagine your life story as a novel. This is particularly helpful if you get stuck at any point. So, you can think of your life story (and life map) in terms of plots, themes, characters, and all the different factors that may have influenced who you are today. E.g. This might include your big decisions that took you on a new path, small choices that led to unexpected discoveries or realities, the impact of overarching historical events or politics in your life, important relationships, goals, beliefs, and even aspects of human behavior (fear, conformity, prejudice, etc).

These are just some ideas–you don’t have to do all of these of course. Feel free to write as much or as little as you wish.

8. Try to put the events in chronological order. Note down your (approximate) age at the time of a given event. There are other ways to order the graph, but doing so by time is probably the simplest option for now.

9. Identify the positive and negative events. Place a “+” sign in front of events that are overall positive, and a “-” sign in front of ones that you perceive as overall negative– and then rate the positive or negative intensity of each event on a scale of 1 to 10, low to high. If it feels genuinely neutral, simply put in a “n” or a “0”.

PART 3: DRAW YOUR LIFE MAP

10. Draw out the life map with above instructions in your notebook or digitally. If you’re feeling stuck or need a bit of help at any point, feel free to reach out to me.

PART 4: NEXT STEPS: REFLECTING ON YOUR LIFE MAP

11. When you’re done drawing the map, also feel free to take a break!

12. If you like, you can reflect on your life map after your break while it’s still fresh in mind. Here are some questions to reflect on:

What factors influence the choices you make?
What factors help you move forward and make progress?
What factors set you back?
There’s a common metaphor that says “life is a journey”. Do you agree with this? If so, why? If you disagree, what’s another way to describe “life” that better resonates with you?

(OPTIONAL) PART 5: WRITE A JOURNAL ENTRY

If you wish, please write a journal entry or essay explaining what you have learned from this life map activity.

Best wishes with this! As usual, feel free comment below if you’d like a hand with anything.

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Fulfilling God’s Assignment | Christian Leadership Insights

by Mark Dreistadt | Jun 8, 2012 | Leadership

God has given everyone an assignment! An assignment is a mission or position to which a person is assigned. We each have a position in the Body of Christ and a distinct mission to fulfill… and God has perfectly equipped us to succeed in His assignment. All visionary leaders have to some degree recognized and embraced this charge.

The Calling of Christian Leadership

God places a Word in your spirit … He gives you a revelation. Then as your life surrounds that revelation it comes to life within you. That revelation released into the world through your thoughts, words, and actions is your Godly assignment. This is a hallmark, a cornerstone of inspirational leadership .

First , you must discover your assignment? Look inside yourself. What do you know God has said to you? What is your passion? What makes you happy? What makes you angry? What excites you? The answers to these questions will help you know the assignment God has placed within you.
Secondly , to effectively fulfill your assignment you must learn to limit. You cannot read everything — know everything — do everything — and be everything — for everyone! Once you understand your assignment, you must focus wholeheartedly and complete the tasks God has entrusted to you. Church leaders often struggle here because they want to do everything and help everyone, but we need to focus on what our unique assignment is.
Thirdly , to fulfill God’s assignment, you need to be willing to self-assess. You need to take stock of how well you serve in the position God has placed you. Assess what is right and what is wrong — what works and what does not work.
Fourthly , you must be willing to change. If you discover something that does not work in your life, you have to change it. If you discover something needs to be done, you need to do it. You must listen to the Spirit of God, and make a change. Effective church leadership always looks to change things and make adjustments to stay focused on their assignment.
Lastly , you need to be willing to make critical choices. If you do not make the hard decisions, you will never successfully fulfill God’s assignment. The great news is once you make the tough decisions, God fills the void left behind with His grace and provision. His joy and blessing will follow you — when you walk in your Godly assignment. The most fulfilling place for Christian leadership to be is right in the middle of their God given purpose.

God has a spectacular plan for you. You will be amazed at what God will do through you! Discover his assignment, make the right choices and watch your life soar!

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Knowing Your Specific Assignment In Life (Part 1)
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Knowing Your Specific Assignment In Life (Part 1) Series

Contributed by jeff budzinski on oct 18, 2006 (message contributor).

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Summary: We all have a specific assignment from God when we became a Christian. We must uncover what are assignment is, how to complete it with God’s help and be a blessing to the Body of Christ.

Introduction

· God has a specific assignment for each Born Again Believer.

· God has laid out a road map for you to be successful in His plans.

· He has given you His Holy Spirit to guide you to your divine destination.

· The only way to be sure of completing your assignment is through constant fellowship with God (Secret Place).

· Seeking the Lord in prayer, meditation on the Word of God and by fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit, you will discover the assignment of God for your life.

· Let us look to the scriptures this morning to find out our assignment.

A. God has a specific assignment for your life.

(NKJV) Jeremiah 29 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

(AMP) Jeremiah 29 11For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

1. God has already placed a specific assignment in your life that only you can accomplish with His help.

a. It is your job to discover that assignment.

2. Your assignment or plans can be found in studying the Word of God.

a. God’s thoughts toward you and His plans for your life are for good and not evil. They are to prosper you!

b. God’s assignment for you will not fail when you do it His way.

c. God has laid out a detailed plan for you to complete your assignment. Seek Him and He will reveal it to you.

d. God is concerned about your welfare and your peace of mind.

B. You are predestined to do good works & complete your assignment.

(AMP) Ephesians 2 10For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

1. It is up to you to make sure you locate the path for your life.

a. Studying and meditation on the Word is key.

2. You are created in the image of Jesus Christ, God’s handiwork. You are created to win in life.

3. Follow the leadings of the Holy Spirit at all times. He will direct your steps.

4. When the Holy Spirit speaks to you, do what He say immediately. Do not delay or you will be steered off course.

a. When the Holy Spirit speaks, you will know that it is God directing you.

(NKJV) Ephesians 3 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

5. When you communicate with the Holy Spirit, He will reveal the secrets or mysteries of God to you. This allows you to complete your assignment.

6. Revelation knowledge is revealed knowledge by the Spirit of God.

7. Revelation knowledge will always line up with the Word of God.

a. The Holy Spirit will reveal secrets when you spend a considerable amount of time with Him.

b. God’s sheep know His voice.

i. Like a parent knows the voice of his or her child, we as children of God, will know His voice when we spend time fellowshipping with Him daily.

c. When your thoughts line up with the Word of God, you will have great results in life.

8. God will guide you on your assignment by giving you insight.

C. Keeping your course as you perform your assignment.

1. God gave you His spirit so that you can know Him better and keep on course to complete your assignment.

2. God requires you to be a good steward over the revelation knowledge He gives you.

3. Ask God to reveal things to you. Be persistent in your asking.

4. Speaking in tongues enable you to communicate directly with God.

Related Media

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 14 , 1 Corinthians 2 , Ephesians 2 , Ephesians 3 , Jeremiah 29 , Jeremiah 29:11

Sermon Topics: Becoming A Christian

Neiko Jones

commented on Aug 13, 2017

This sermon was timely and helpful. Our pastor gave us the assignment of finding a scripture and discovering what our assignment is in life and the church. I will used the information in learned in this sermon to study and discover. Thanks and God bless!

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Your Assignment From God

You and I were created by God, you are not the product of evolution. If you and I were the product of evolution, then life would have no meaning. We would have no purpose except to live and die. However, you were created by God. Therefore your life has purpose, but what is that purpose? What are you and I supposed to do with our lives?

Today I begin a new message series called “Created To Do What?” That’s one of the most important questions anyone can ask. Doesn’t matter if your 9 or 90, you need to ask and find answers to the question “What Was I Created To Do?” As I was pondering that question I was reminded of an old song by Bob Dylan called “Gotta Serve Somebody.” You were created to serve somebody, you were created to accept an assignment for your life from somebody. You have a choice to make, who are you going to serve? The song says there are two choices of who you’re going to serve, the devil or the Lord. Dylan is right about that.

NIV Romans 6:13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as instruments of righteousness. That’s the choice, offer yourself to serve sin and the devil or offer yourself to serve God. Now, most people think there are three choices in life: serve God, serve myself or serve the devil. Few people think they serve the devil, most just want to do what they want to do. The truth of the matter is whatever you don’t give to God, you give to the devil. Serving yourself, the big I, is the same as serving the devil. Only two choices in life, serving God or the devil. Both God and the devil have a plan for your life. God has an assignment for you and Satan has an assignment for you.

Today I want to talk about “Your Assignment From God.” Only by accepting God’s assignment for your life will you be doing something significant. Only by accepting God’s assignment for your life will you be part of making a difference in the world for good. Only by accepting God’s assignment for your life will all the pieces of your life fit into place. So don’t fight it any longer. This morning I want to encourage you to offer all of yourself to God, accept your assignment from God. In future messages, we’ll be talking more about what your assignment is. Today I want to answer the question, “Why accept your assignment from God?”

How to Write a Life Story Essay

Last Updated: April 14, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alicia Cook . Alicia Cook is a Professional Writer based in Newark, New Jersey. With over 12 years of experience, Alicia specializes in poetry and uses her platform to advocate for families affected by addiction and to fight for breaking the stigma against addiction and mental illness. She holds a BA in English and Journalism from Georgian Court University and an MBA from Saint Peter’s University. Alicia is a bestselling poet with Andrews McMeel Publishing and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets including the NY Post, CNN, USA Today, the HuffPost, the LA Times, American Songwriter Magazine, and Bustle. She was named by Teen Vogue as one of the 10 social media poets to know and her poetry mixtape, “Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately” was a finalist in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 101,564 times.

A life story essay involves telling the story of your life in a short, nonfiction format. It can also be called an autobiographical essay. In this essay, you will tell a factual story about some element of your life, perhaps for a college application or for a school assignment.

Preparing to Write Your Essay

Step 1 Determine the goal of your essay.

If you are writing a personal essay for a college application, it should serve to give the admissions committee a sense of who you are, beyond the basics of your application file. Your transcript, your letters of recommendation, and your resume will provide an overview of your work experience, interests, and academic record. Your essay allows you to make your application unique and individual to you, through your personal story. [2] X Research source
The essay will also show the admissions committee how well you can write and structure an essay. Your essay should show you can create a meaningful piece of writing that interests your reader, conveys a unique message, and flows well.
If you are writing a life story for a specific school assignment, such as in a composition course, ask your teacher about the assignment requirements.

Include important events, such as your birth, your childhood and upbringing, and your adolescence. If family member births, deaths, marriages, and other life moments are important to your story, write those down as well.
Focus on experiences that made a big impact on you and remain a strong memory. This may be a time where you learned an important life lesson, such as failing a test or watching someone else struggle and succeed, or where you felt an intense feeling or emotion, such as grief over someone’s death or joy over someone’s triumph.

Have you faced a challenge in your life that you overcame, such as family struggles, health issues, a learning disability, or demanding academics?
Do you have a story to tell about your cultural or ethnic background, or your family traditions?
Have you dealt with failure or life obstacles?
Do you have a unique passion or hobby?
Have you traveled outside of your community, to another country, city, or area? What did you take away from the experience and how will you carry what you learned into a college setting?

Remind yourself of your accomplishments by going through your resume. Think about any awards or experiences you would like spotlight in your essay. For example, explaining the story behind your Honor Roll status in high school, or how you worked hard to receive an internship in a prestigious program.
Remember that your resume or C.V. is there to list off your accomplishments and awards, so your life story shouldn't just rehash them. Instead, use them as a jumping-off place to explain the process behind them, or what they reflect (or do not reflect) about you as a person.

The New York Times publishes stellar examples of high school life story essays each year. You can read some of them on the NYT website. [8] X Research source

Writing Your Essay

Step 1 Structure your essay around a key experience or theme.

For example, you may look back at your time in foster care as a child or when you scored your first paying job. Consider how you handled these situations and any life lessons you learned from these lessons. Try to connect past experiences to who you are now, or who you aspire to be in the future.
Your time in foster care, for example, may have taught you resilience, perseverance and a sense of curiosity around how other families function and live. This could then tie into your application to a Journalism program, as the experience shows you have a persistent nature and a desire to investigate other people’s stories or experiences.

Certain life story essays have become cliche and familiar to admission committees. Avoid sports injuries stories, such as the time you injured your ankle in a game and had to find a way to persevere. You should also avoid using an overseas trip to a poor, foreign country as the basis for your self transformation. This is a familiar theme that many admission committees will consider cliche and not unique or authentic. [11] X Research source
Other common, cliche topics to avoid include vacations, "adversity" as an undeveloped theme, or the "journey". [12] X Research source

Try to phrase your thesis in terms of a lesson learned. For example, “Although growing up in foster care in a troubled neighborhood was challenging and difficult, it taught me that I can be more than my upbringing or my background through hard work, perseverance, and education.”
You can also phrase your thesis in terms of lessons you have yet to learn, or seek to learn through the program you are applying for. For example, “Growing up surrounded by my mother’s traditional cooking and cultural habits that have been passed down through the generations of my family, I realized I wanted to discover and honor the traditions of other, ancient cultures with a career in archaeology.”
Both of these thesis statements are good because they tell your readers exactly what to expect in clear detail.

An anecdote is a very short story that carries moral or symbolic weight. It can be a poetic or powerful way to start your essay and engage your reader right away. You may want to start directly with a retelling of a key past experience or the moment you realized a life lesson.
For example, you could start with a vivid memory, such as this from an essay that got its author into Harvard Business School: "I first considered applying to Berry College while dangling from a fifty-food Georgia pine tree, encouraging a high school classmate, literally, to make a leap of faith." [15] X Research source This opening line gives a vivid mental picture of what the author was doing at a specific, crucial moment in time and starts off the theme of "leaps of faith" that is carried through the rest of the essay.
Another great example clearly communicates the author's emotional state from the opening moments: "Through seven-year-old eyes I watched in terror as my mother grimaced in pain." This essay, by a prospective medical school student, goes on to tell about her experience being at her brother's birth and how it shaped her desire to become an OB/GYN. The opening line sets the scene and lets you know immediately what the author was feeling during this important experience. It also resists reader expectations, since it begins with pain but ends in the joy of her brother's birth.
Avoid using a quotation. This is an extremely cliche way to begin an essay and could put your reader off immediately. If you simply must use a quotation, avoid generic quotes like “Spread your wings and fly” or “There is no ‘I’ in ‘team’”. Choose a quotation that relates directly to your experience or the theme of your essay. This could be a quotation from a poem or piece of writing that speaks to you, moves you, or helped you during a rough time.

Step 5 Let your personality and voice come through.

Always use the first person in a personal essay. The essay should be coming from you and should tell the reader directly about your life experiences, with “I” statements.
For example, avoid something such as “I had a hard time growing up. I was in a bad situation.” You can expand this to be more distinct, but still carry a similar tone and voice. “When I was growing up in foster care, I had difficulties connecting with my foster parents and with my new neighborhood. At the time, I thought I was in a bad situation I would never be able to be free from.”

For example, consider this statement: "I am a good debater. I am highly motivated and have been a strong leader all through high school." This gives only the barest detail, and does not allow your reader any personal or unique information that will set you apart from the ten billion other essays she has to sift through.
In contrast, consider this one: "My mother says I'm loud. I say you have to speak up to be heard. As president of my high school's debate team for the past three years, I have learned to show courage even when my heart is pounding in my throat. I have learned to consider the views of people different than myself, and even to argue for them when I passionately disagree. I have learned to lead teams in approaching complicated issues. And, most importantly for a formerly shy young girl, I have found my voice." This example shows personality, uses parallel structure for impact, and gives concrete detail about what the author has learned from her life experience as a debater.

An example of a passive sentence is: “The cake was eaten by the dog.” The subject (the dog) is not in the expected subject position (first) and is not "doing" the expected action. This is confusing and can often be unclear.
An example of an active sentence is: “The dog ate the cake.” The subject (the dog) is in the subject position (first), and is doing the expected action. This is much more clear for the reader and is a stronger sentence.

Step 8 Apply the Into, Through, and Beyond approach.

Lead the reader INTO your story with a powerful beginning, such as an anecdote or a quote.
Take the reader THROUGH your story with the context and key parts of your experience.
End with the BEYOND message about how the experience has affected who you are now and who you want to be in college and after college.

Editing Your Essay

Step 1 Put your first draft aside for a few days.

For example, a sentence like “I struggled during my first year of college, feeling overwhelmed by new experiences and new people” is not very strong because it states the obvious and does not distinguish you are unique or singular. Most people struggle and feel overwhelmed during their first year of college. Adjust sentences like this so they appear unique to you.
For example, consider this: “During my first year of college, I struggled with meeting deadlines and assignments. My previous home life was not very structured or strict, so I had to teach myself discipline and the value of deadlines.” This relates your struggle to something personal and explains how you learned from it.

It can be difficult to proofread your own work, so reach out to a teacher, a mentor, a family member, or a friend and ask them to read over your essay. They can act as first readers and respond to any proofreading errors, as well as the essay as a whole.

Expert Q&A

↑ http://education.seattlepi.com/write-thesis-statement-autobiographical-essay-1686.html
↑ https://study.com/learn/lesson/autobiography-essay-examples-steps.html
↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201101/writing-compelling-life-story-in-500-words-or-less
↑ Alicia Cook. Professional Writer. Expert Interview. 11 December 2020.
↑ https://mycustomessay.com/blog/how-to-write-an-autobiography-essay.html
↑ https://www.ahwatukee.com/community_focus/article_c79b33da-09a5-11e3-95a8-001a4bcf887a.html
↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/10/your-money/four-stand-out-college-essays-about-money.html
↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY9AdFx0L4s
↑ https://www.medina-esc.org/Downloads/Practical%20Advice%20Writing%20College%20App%20Essay.pdf
↑ http://www.businessinsider.com/successful-harvard-business-school-essays-2012-11?op=1
↑ http://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/passive_sentences.htm

About This Article

A life story essay is an essay that tells the story of your life in a short, nonfiction format. Start by coming up with a thesis statement, which will help you structure your essay. For example, your thesis could be about the influence of your family's culture on your life or how you've grown from overcoming challenging circumstances. You can include important life events that link to your thesis, like jobs you’ve worked, friendships that have influenced you, or sports competitions you’ve won. Consider starting your essay with an anecdote that introduces your thesis. For instance, if you're writing about your family's culture, you could start by talking about the first festival you went to and how it inspired you. Finish by writing about how the experiences have affected you and who you want to be in the future. For more tips from our Education co-author, including how to edit your essay effectively, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Your Life’s Assignment

Scripture of the Day (December 3, 2020) But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. (Acts 20:24, NLT)

There is probably nothing more important to born-again lovers of God than finishing the work that God has for them on this earth. The scripture in Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has a plan for each one of us and that it is a good plan to give us an expected end. There is nothing in this world that can satisfy as much as knowing that you are in the perfect will of God and doing exactly what you have been called and anointed to do.

On the other hand, there is nothing more frustrating to not be sure exactly where you should be or what you should be doing. To miss out on your assignment in life is to miss out on why God put you here. You’re gifted and called by God, and we all need to take that very seriously. The question is not what are you running from, but what are you moving toward? To succeed you must know God’s will and concentrate on fulfilling it. Having a powerful “why” will provide you with the necessary “how”. Purpose, not money and talent, is your greatest asset. To help you discover your life’s assignment, answer the following questions:

(1) What’s your temperament and what’s your talent? Psychologist and motivational speaker Charles Garfield said, “Peak performers are people who are committed to a compelling mission. It is very clear that they care deeply about what they do, and their efforts, energies, and enthusiasms are traceable back to that particular mission.”

(2) Why do you do what you do? There’s a big difference between doing something because you believe God’s called you to do it, and doing what your parents, friends, or ego wants you to do.

(3) What do you not do well? Knowing what you’re called to do often starts with discovering what you’re not called to do. When you can accept your limitations, you’re on the road to understanding your life’s assignment. When you pretend to be something you’re not, you live with a chronic sense of inadequacy and set yourself up for frustration. Don’t do that. Be open to the truth about yourself. Discover your God-given assignment, then give yourself to it.

The Apostle Paul was a great example of pursuing what God had called him to do after having his Damascus road experience. Here was a man that had persecuted believers and watched as Stephen was stoned to death. However, Jesus had a plan for him to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles (that’s most of us). Paul spent his life doing just that and if you could ask him today I think he would say this, “It was worth it all!!!”

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. (Philippians 3:13-15)

Worksheets and Discussion Questions

Designing Your Work Life Worksheets
Energy Engagement Worksheet
Failure Log Worksheet
Good Time Journal Activity Log
Love, Play, Work, Health Dashboard Worksheet
Odyssey Planning Worksheet
Improvs and Warm-ups

Discussion Questions

In the introduction, the authors point out that only 27 percent of college graduates have a career related to their majors. What did you think when you read that statistic? Are you among the 27 percent?
The concept of “reframing”—pivoting your perspective to address a perceived problem—plays an important role in this book. What experiences have you had with reframing, either in your career or in your personal life?
When discussing the role of a designer, the authors say, “Designers don’t think their way forward. Designers build their way forward” (page xxv). Until you read this book, had you been mostly thinking or mostly building?
On page 26, the authors write, “Designing something changes the future that is possible.” What does this mean to you?
Did you perform all the exercises in the book? Which ones did you find most thought provoking?
Which was a greater challenge while building your compass: describing your Workview or describing your Lifeview?
The authors say that the process of reconciling Workview and Lifeview often leads to the biggest “aha” moments (page 37). What became clear to you?
Have you ever experienced “flow,” the feeling of complete engagement? If so, when?
On page 67, the authors write, “There is no one idea for your life. There are many lives you could live happily and productively.” Have you ever thought this way before? How many lives did you imagine for yourself while reading this book?
What was the most surprising connection you made in your mind map?
When you created your Odyssey Plans, which one set your heart to racing? Was it a new discovery for you?
Are you discussing this book with your Life Design Team? If you haven’t assembled one yet, what’s stopping you?
Chapter 6 is devoted to prototyping: asking questions, uncovering hidden biases, iterating rapidly, and creating momentum. Were you familiar with this concept before reading the book? What aspects of your life have you prototyped?
Did you hold a brainstorming session? What was your most successful question? How many ideas did you generate?
What is the difference between pursuing a job and pursuing an offer? In your own life, which do you generally do?
On page 155, the authors talk about “pursuing latent wonderfulness.” How would you define that concept?
What did you learn from the jam study described on pages 161 and 162?
The notion of failure as a useful thing comes up frequently in the book, and particular in chapter 10. In your own life, how have you “failed forward”?
Until now, have you received more advice (when someone is telling you what they think) when making a decision, or more counsel (when someone is trying to help you figure out what you think)? Which has proved more helpful?
What was your biggest revelation from this book?
If the authors were in this room right now and asked you, “How’s it going?” how would you respond?
Werkblad Overzicht Energie – Betrokkenheid
Werkblad Mislukking
Werkblad Balans Liefde – Spel – Werk – Gezondheid
Planning Werkblad
Fijn Voel Dagboek
Work-Play-Love-Health Balance Worksheet
Energy Engagement Map Worksheet

Personal Growth

What is Your Mission and Vision in Life?

by Charlene Dior · Published April 29, 2018 · Updated November 25, 2020

Recently I was asked to describe my mission in life and what I do on a daily basis to fulfill that mission. My answer was threefold: to grow, to contribute, and to experience.

If you’ve been hanging around here for a while you may have heard me say that I believe the purpose of life is to grow – mentally, spiritually, physically, emotionally, and financially. To that end it’s no surprise that I would say my mission in life is to grow. I do not want to stay the same person forever, limited by my past, my weaknesses, or my belief system. My mission is to grow. I want to push past anything hindering me and reach heights I didn’t even know existed.

Related: Video: There’s Purpose in Your Season

My mission is also to contribute. From mission trips in Haiti and Colombia to mentoring young girls I live for contribution. I want to make a difference – or else what’s the point of life? My mission in life and everything I do is to contribute. And when I feel that what I’m doing doesn’t contribute to anything or anyone I have a hard time staying motivated. (A double edged sword). It’s why this blog exists. It’s an avenue through which I get to contribute.

Lastly, my mission is to experience life. I want to live. I mean truly live. My need to experience life led me to Ghana , skiing , trying crazy food, investing in real estate to fund those experiences and just being open to what life has to offer in general. If I’ve never done it before chances are I’m game. I crave experiences.

That’s my mission in life. My vision is to make contribution my life’s work (aka career), to build wealth, to grow into the woman that is capable of doing so, and to experience life, love, and family.

So enough about me. What about you? What is Your Mission and Vision in Life?

Let’s start with some definitions:

Mission: an important assignment, a calling.
Vision: a view or idea of how something could be in the future.

Related: The Life Changing Magic of Having a Vision

I often say that your purpose pulls you. It wants you as much as you want it.

What’s purpose have to do with mission? A mission is an assignment. It’s something that you are tasked or called to do. Your mission enables you to fulfill your purpose. Here’s an example. I’m Christian and so this is the first thing that comes to mind. If this is not your belief system no biggie. As they say – eat the meat, spit out the bones.

The purpose of Jesus coming to the earth was to save the world. His “important assignment” or mission was to teach and to lead by example.

You can identify your mission by understanding your purpose. What pulls you? What’s the thing you cannot shake? Where is the intersection of your strengths, interests, gifts, and passion? And how does this intersection collide with the needs of the world or your community?

“As God has not made anything useless in this world, as all beings fulfill obligations or a role in the sublime drama of Creation, I cannot exempt from this duty, and small though it be, I too have a mission to fill, as for example: alleviating the sufferings of my fellowmen.” – Jose Rizal

What needs do you even see? I can see things you can’t see. I can see needs, opportunities, weaknesses, etc. that you can’t. And you can see things that I can’t see. I can’t always see what doesn’t interest me. Have you ever thought, “Why can’t I come up with ideas like such and such?” I think that ALL THE TIME when I’m watching a million dollar business on Shark Tank.

If you can’t see something it’s probably not apart of your mission or purpose. This isn’t to say that you can’t condition yourself to see opportunities. But if you’ve been a part of something for a while – a job, business opportunity, etc. – and you can’t see those opportunities or needs it’s probably not your purpose.

When you get clear on your purpose, the thing that pulls you, you can pinpoint your important assignments.

Your vision is a result of your mission. Back to the example of Jesus. Jesus’ vision is that believers would come to know God, trust God, obey God, and have everlasting life.

What’s the result of you fulfilling your mission? What could the future be? What could your future be?

Knowing your vision is important because it keeps you committed. It also determines how you direct your efforts in the short term. If something isn’t aligned with your vision you probably don’t need to be focused on that thing. I know people who have stated that their vision is the be an entrepreneur. Yet, they spend all their time and energy focused on the next big promotion at work. Don’t get me wrong. Getting promoted is a great thing. But if you have a choice of spending your extra time and energy building your business or building the career you said you wanted to leave you should choose the former.

“The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get on to it, and the perseverance to follow it.” – Kalpana Chawla

When we lose sight of the vision we tend to focus on short term gains. Knowing and holding your vision directs today’s actions. It keeps you focused on the long term vision.

✨ Travel 5 years into the future. What do you want to see? Based on what you’re doing today what will you see?

✨ Travel 10 years into the future. What do you want to see? Based on what you’re doing today what will you see?

✨ Travel 20 years into the future. What do you want to see? Based on what you’re doing today what will you see?

Take the future you want to see and work backwards. What do you need to be doing today to get you there? Don’t limit your vision to what you think is possible. Don’t limit your vision to where you are today. Allow yourself to image your dream future without any limitations. When you put limits on your vision you stifle yourself. Dream big and dream often.

I talk more about purpose and vision in From Caterpillar to Butterfly: Transform the Life You Have into the Life You Love

Mission, Vision, and Purpose Statements

Based on all that I’ve just said, let’s write your statements out. This is a great exercise because it ensures that all three are aligned. If they are not aligned something’s not right.

Your Personal Purpose Statement:

(The first three will help you formulate the purpose statement)

My interests, gifts, and strengths:

______________________________________________________

The needs I see around me are:

_______________________________________________________

The thing that “pulls” me is:

My purpose is:

Your Personal Mission Statement:

I can use my interests, gifts, and strengths to meet the needs around me by:

My important assignment is:

Your Personal Vision Statement:

My hope(s) for the future is (are):

Now ask yourself does your mission allow you to fulfill your purpose? Is your vision the result of you carrying out your mission?

If you answered yes to both questions, GREAT! You are on the right path.

If you answered no to either question revisit your statements.

It’s important you get this right. Imagine if Jesus had no idea what His purpose or mission was. How do you think He would have spent His days on earth? Fishing for fish instead of men? Hanging out, chillaxing all day? When you don’t have a clear idea of your own unique mission or vision you wander your way through life. I take it that you already know that, which is why you’re here. You tried of wandering through your life without clarity on what you’re here for.

With all that being said, no skip over this.

More Than One Mission and Vision?

I’m often asked is it possible to have more than one mission, vision, or purpose. Yes! It is. Your mission as a mother is not the same as your mission as a woman. If your mission in life was simply to be a mother and raise productive members of society what would you do when your children move out the house?

You can have a different purpose, mission, and vision for various areas and stages of life.

Which area of life should you focus on for this exercise? All. But if you had to choose one, choose the one you are most unsure of.

Again, your life’s mission and vision is such an important topic. It’s something you should know. To take it one step further you should life out your mission and work towards your vision every day. How will you make sure your mission and vision are apart of how you live your life everyday?

Get started today!

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Charlene Dior

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The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that he or she will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove her point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, he or she still has to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and she already knows everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality she or he expects.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Nathan B. Weller

The Tree of Life: A Simple Exercise for Reclaiming Your Identity and Direction in Life Through Story

In my last post I shared a book that has made a profound impact on me. It’s called Retelling the Stories of Our Lives: Everyday Narrative Therapy to Draw Inspiration and Transform Experience by David Denborough.

As I read this book so many things about the nature of stories and their role in human life came into sharp focus. Things that I have been working out for years on my own but could only vaguely express in comparison to the clarity I found in this book.

Just having the idea of using story to work through trauma or a crisis of identity validated was a big deal for me. I knew it was possible (because I had done it in my own life) but I was completely unaware that there was a whole subset of psychologists and therapists dedicated to using stories (in a non-religious context) to heal and empower people all over the world.

To discover this has filled me with a new wellspring of passion for learning all that I can about the power, utility, and essential nature of stories. And of course, sharing those lessons with anyone who cares to read this blog.

That’s why I’m excited to share an exercise from Denborough’s book called The Tree of Life. It’s something literally anyone can do in under an hour and yet the results can positively shape the rest of your life.

Table of Contents

The Tree of Life Concept

The tree of life concept is pretty simple and straightforward. It is a visual metaphor in which a tree represents your life and the various elements that make it up–past, present, and future.

By labeling these parts, you not only begin to discover (or perhaps rediscover) aspects of yourself shaped by the past, but you can then begin to actively cultivate your tree to reflect the kind of person you want to be moving forward.

Just as we learned in my last post that the stories of our lives are the events we choose to highlight and contextualize, in this post we will learn how to discover and highlight alternate paths through our past–which in turn create new horizons in our future.

Follow the instructions below to give it a try for yourself.

The Tree of Life Exercise

The image below is an example of what the tree of life exercise will look like once complete. I was able to complete this rough draft in about an hour. The instructions below will describe how you can create your own.

The first step of course is to draw a tree. I’ve included a video below that should help if you feel lost. However, I should note that–at least for your first draft–it might be helpful to keep it rough. You can always go back later and redraw or touch-up your existing drawing for aesthetics. This round is all about getting the information down.

Next, follow the labeling instructions below. If you can only think of one or two things per section at a time, don’t worry about it. The nature of this exercise is that as you complete each step, it unlocks more memories and ideas for other parts. You can skip around and fill things in at any time. The most helpful thing in the beginning is to just write stuff down and see where it takes you. You might be surprised!

The Compost Heap ( Optional–But Highly Recommended! )

Write down anything in your compost heap that would normally go in the other sections described below but which are now things you no longer want to be defined by.

These are often sources of trauma, abuse, cultural standards of normality/beauty/etc. or anything else that shapes negative thoughts about yourself in your mind. You can write down places, people, problems, experiences. Whatever you need to.

I blurred mine out above, but you can see it has several items. Generally they all have to do with past trauma and damaging relationships I’m trying to let go of. I’ve found that the idea of a compost heap is an extremely helpful way to think about these things. Especially since many of them are not neatly categorized as “all bad”.

There are in fact quite a few life defining lessons I learned through the things that ended up in my compost heap. And like a compost heap is supposed to do, I will eventually break those things down and re-sow the rich parts back into my life.

You can do the same with yours.

Write down where you come from on the roots. This can be your home town, state, country, etc. You could also write down the culture you grew up in, a club or organization that shaped your youth, or a parent/guardian.

Write down the things you choose to do on a weekly basis on the ground. These should not be things you are forced to do, but rather things you have chosen to do for yourself.

Write your skills and values on the trunk. I chose to write my values starting at the base of the trunk going up. I then transitioned into listing my skills. For me this felt like a natural progression from roots to values to skills.

The Branches

Write down your hopes, dreams, and wishes on the branches. These can be personal, communal, or general to all of mankind. Think both long and short term. Spread them around the various branches.

Write down the names of those who are significant to you in a positive way. Your friends, family, pets, heroes, etc.

Write down the legacies that have been passed on to you. You can begin by looking at the names you just wrote on leaves and thinking about the impact they’ve had on you and what they’ve given to you over the years. This can be material, such as an inheritance, but most often this will be attributes such as courage, generosity, kindness, etc.

(Tip: if your tree is pretty crowded by this point, perhaps try drawing some baskets of fruit at the base of your tree and label them accordingly there.)

The Flowers & Seeds

Write down the legacies you wish to leave to others on the flowers and seeds.

(Tip: again, you may wish to de-clutter your drawing by visualizing saplings, baskets of flowers, etc. on which to write these items down.)

Going Further

After completing this exercise you are no doubt swimming with ideas and possibilities. My best advice is that if an idea has occurred to you that will help you process the things you have uncovered in a positive way, do it!

Here are three things that I have chosen to do as a follow up to my initial experience.

I’ve decided to journal about the various elements on my tree. I want to explore the connections between my roots, values, skills, people, etc. in a safe way before sharing it with others in any organized manner. But I do intend to share it with others. And I already know two of the ways in which I plan to.

Writing Letters

Some of the connections are pretty easy for me to determine. I know that I wrote certain values or lessons on my tree and immediately followed them up with the name of a person or group of people. These are the people who have instilled something special in me and I intend to tell them how much that means to me by writing some letters.

Meditation Through Art

I found that the drawing part of this exercise was particularly satisfying and therapeutic in and of itself. I’ve decided to follow this initial exercise up with some more study sketches of trees followed by a series of paintings and collages that express more than mere labels can. I hope to be able to share these with my friends, family, and community in the future too.

Final Thoughts

Even though I’ve spent this whole post talking about how great of an exercise this can be, I know how scary it can feel to take the first steps in claiming the storytelling rights over your life. It usually means confronting aspects of our past that we might feel are better left unchallenged. And that’s a valid concern.

If you are worried that an exercise like this might stir up a lot of raw emotion or trigger traumatic flashbacks, I would encourage you to complete this exercise with a therapist. Or, at the very least, with a friend or family member who will be there to talk to you and support you through the process.

Regardless of how you choose to complete this exercise, or what personal spins you put on it (which is half the fun!), I’d love to hear how it goes. Feel free to reach out to me about it via any of my social channels, my contact page, or the comments section below.

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57 comments.

I’m a trauma psychologist who is redoing her website and want to included referrals to sites I think might be helpful to people recovering from childhood trauma.

I really like your site and would like to recommend it to my readers. Would you be interested that? If so, I’ll send you the site when it’s presentable.

My license and ethics do not allow me to ask for an affiliate kickback, so I expect nothing from you in return.

All the best,

Victoria Bentley, PsyD

Sure I think that would be great. Reference away :)

Greetings Nathan. I’m about to draw my tree of life! At 58, soon to be 59, I moved from West Africa to work in Bahraini. I’m excited and anxious and on my own. I really want to write a book of my life journey and get it published. Would be good to talk to you about help with getting started….

Hey Donna, so happy for you! I’m a big believer in understanding and recording one’s personal story. Whether that takes the form of a journal, vlog, or something more formal like a book. I wish you the best of luck on that journey. If you would like my help I do do story consulting. I can help you walk through this exercise and several more that will help you structure your life story and plot the events of your life into a coherent narrative. To be clear up-front though, most of my consulting is with big brands and my rates reflect that. I charge between $500 and $1500 per session depending on session length and the amount of prep work that needs to take place beforehand. If that still sounds like something you’re interested in please feel free to get in touch via my contact page :)

If you’re more interested in a DIY approach then I would recommend the following resources:

Watch The Power of Myth on Netflix. It’s an extended interview of Joseph Campbell by Bill Moyers.

Joseph Campbell is THE pioneer of mythic story structure. I’d also recommend his most popular and influential book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces , but for many it’s a bit too academic.

Another great read is The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler . This book is a much more accessible take on Joseph Campbell’s work written specifically for writers.

Finally, if you’re really serious, I’d recommend you read The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories by Christopher Booker . I found that the hero’s journey tends to focus on the “quest” plot in most case studies. However, this book is excellent in helping you recognize and create your own variations represented by the other six basic plots.

At the end of my dream this morning an Asian woman I was staring at (bc I thought she was someone else) caught my glance, became excited, and whispered to her companions, “maybe she’s the identity tree”and proceeded to move toward me. I woke up with those words ringing in my ears, and, bc I’ve had enough dreams with final messages that proved to be meaningful, I jumped on google and typed the words “identity tree. Above article was the first (and last) thing I read, and everything about it rings true and right for doing right now. And I’m also beginning work with a new therapist in two hours. 🙏

Hi Nathan. I just came across this today after painting my tree of life. I love the idea & am going to do the exercise. I come from a past of negativity & dysfunction & the l lengthy traumatic (abusive!) marriage. When I looked at my finished tree of life (painted), it spoke to mr about my life. My first thought was, your not completely healed yet. It was as if I were looking at a tangled web. I would love to share it with you. It too was a great exercise. I believe we use colour, like words as a form of expression. My tree, though quite bright, is just not bright enough yet…

Hey Diane, I’m glad that you’ve found some level of healing with this exercise. It’s totally an ongoing process. I’ve done this exercise several times over the years and each time things change a bit, some things come into clearer focus, while others fade further into my past. Hope your self work continues with great results!

Hi Victoria,

my wife, Suzanne would be interested in your childhood trauma work. Her contact info is below – thank you!

What a lovely idea! I’m excited to use this activity in a women’s retreat I’m hosting this weekend. Many thanks for sharing this!

My pleasure! I’d love to hear how it goes for you. Feel free to message me via my contact page: https://nathanbweller.com/contact/

Thank you, I am glad I found your site. It was easy to read and understand. I will be sitting down to draw my own tree and use this technique in my practice. I am definitely adding The Tree of Life to my must read list and subscribing to your blog. I am a clinical social worker and would like to link and or reference your site.

Thanks Jacqueline!

Hey! Thank you for sharing this magical life tree experience, I really enjoyed doing this task, the drawing, the writing, focusing on the people who affect me the most in life. It was a great opportunity to do a zoom in for myself and focus on me especially in today world which is full of distractions. Great page and topic. Thank you for sharing! I really enjoyed it.

Thanks for sharing !!! I’m organizing an event for women and would love to use this for the event.

Hi Nathan, Thanks for much for this post! I’ve offered a Tree of Life workshop to colleagues at my workplace as a team building exercise. I’m getting ready to offer another and always like to google for more inspiration. I’m so glad to find you and your Tree of Life. I’m going to add the idea of a compost heap to my workshop. Thanks so much for your inspiration!!!

That’s awesome! I’m glad you found value here :)

I am looking forward to really delving into this website and it’s resources. The Tree of Life will be a useful tool for rebuilding identity after continuing to move through a lot of recent trauma. Funny, I thought I would’ve been through with trauma after having overcome so much. But it seems right when I get to the top of the mountain, I start to unravel again. I take responsibility for my mistakes. I just hope that I can keep my faith and channel my anger and pain in healthy ways and not toward others be a cause that’s most important to me not to do.

Thanks for sharing that Julie. I’m glad you’ve found this resource helpful. Good luck on your journey!

Loved your article and drawing the tree. I would like to utilize your ideas in a class I will teach. I would like permission to use your article in the class with reference and credit to you and your site.

Hi Marcia, yes please do. Permission granted. Thanks!

Hellos!! Such a lovely and powerful technique. Even I wanted to ask, with your permission may I too use your link and help people discover such a lovely way. I am into sound healing and a reiki master

Yep, share away :)

I am a graduate student. I would like to know if I could use your picture for a class assignment.

Sure, no problem. You can use my sketch above.

Sorry, I meant the picture at the top of the page. It is beautiful. I would love to use the sketch also. Thanks for sharing your exercise; it would be perfect for groups sessions with my students.

Oh ok, well I can’t give permission for you to use my featured image since it’s not mine to begin with. Notice I have a link giving the source credit at the bottom of my own post. However, Unsplash images are free to use in almost every single case. So I’m sure it’s fine. You’ll just need to read the terms for this image and give credit if they require it.

Hi, just saw your tree of life. Found it very useful and interesting. Kindly allow me to use it for a workshop of school leaders. I would start working upon my tree of life.

Sure no problem. You can use it :)

(It’s not mine, but I’ve used it here out of a book–as I’ve stated in the post–so I’d recommend crediting the creator of the exercise and his book.)

I love this book too! Recognising and reframing our stories is so powerful. And this is such a client-centred and gentle approach too. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Lynne!

Hello, I hope this text finds you doing well. I am a keen learner and as a facilitator to young youths. I found this piece (exercise) very helpful and interesting. It would help all range of people understand themselves to navigate challenges in life, planning way forward and acknowledge for what they receive.

looking forward to learning more from you.

Thanks for stopping by Yeshi!

Thanks for sharing this. It’s an excellent exercise. I celebrated God’s work in my life through the tree.

Glad you liked it Paul!

Hello Nathan, My name is Paul. I love this tree exercise. It is lifegiving! I work for the Canadian Baptists. I would like to share your exercise with our pastors in our spiritual practices guide. Would it be okay if I did that? I can include a link to your webpage in our email as well. Please let me know. Thanks, Paul

Hi Paul! Yes, please feel free to share this exercise with your group. I myself borrowed this from the narrative therapy book Retelling the Stories of our Lives . That might also be a good resource for your group.

You may also wish to acknowledge Ncazelo Ncube-Mlilo, the African women who originated the Tree of Life in support of sufferers of HIV. I believe David Denborough was inspired by her idea. Also David is now the Director of the Dulwich Centre in Adelaide, South Australia. They do some wonderful work with narrative therapy. You might like to add their link your site: (I have no other association with Dulwich other than being a follower.)

Thank you for putting Ncazelo Ncube-Mlilo on my radar. I will have to learn more about her and her work.

Apologies in my previous post, I should have referred to Ncazelo Ncube-Mlilo as South African (not African).

Hi! I find this article and the tree of life exercise very useful. May I also request permission to use this in the book I am writing, of course with the required recognition of the source, should this request be approved. Thank you and may you be given more opportunities to bless others through your works.

I don’t mind if you reference my blog, however I cannot give permission for the tree of life concept as I don’t have that authority.

Hi Nathan, I am a mental health therapist and have added your ideal of the compost heap to the original tree of life exercise, may I copy your directions and site your website?

Yes, feel free to share and link back. However, please give credit for the idea to David Denborough and his book.

Thank you so much, I plan on using this for my patients and I have also cited your name.

Thank you! Please also be sure to credit the original source–the book linked above.

This concept of the TREE OF LIFE is wonderful. I have always been looking at a concept like this one – now I found it. Will translate it into the German language, as I am living in Germany, running an Institute for Humanistic Psychology since 1972, the first one in Germany. Will include this concept in my Orientation Analysis programme of training. It is meant for the counseling situation, not for psychotherapy. I also make use of the East London University papers, which give detailled information on what should be asked to fill into the Tree of Life. Thank you very much.

Glad you found this exercise so helpful! As a Humanist Celebrant I’m interested in learning more about your Institute for Humanistic Psychology.

hello Dr Kluma, can you share what the East London Unv papers are? I also want to use Tree of Life in counseling. thanks,

Hello, Nathan.

Thank you so much for your writing. Very inspiring and informative. I would like to lead an “the Tree of Life” activity in a mentoring session with young adult in South Korea. I am happy to introduce your blog and the book by David Denborough. I found out that the original book was translated into Korean but no longer available unfortunately. I hope this activity ignites deeper discussion between mentees and mentors. Thank you again for your great work.

That is incredible. Good luck!

Hi Nathan my name is Latasha Thomas from Marshall Texas. Been going through things. Find my self going bk in time been through truma. This tree of life do it work. Well I will try it once I get settled in. Some where there Peace.

I’m sorry to hear you’re going through tough times. Hope you find that peace.

Thank you for this exercise. Love it. I´m a MHP in Sweden just finnished my education in Art in therapy. Im so interested in storytelling aswell. Will follow your page.

Thank you! And good luck in your new career!

Hi Nathan, I’m a mental health therapist, I use therapeutic horticulture in my practice as well. Thank you for sharing the details of how this exercise worked for you. It can be use in so many ways! With your permission I’d like to use this, as well as share in my practice. Giving you, your blog and David Denborough credit and backlinks, and referral to the book. I’m glad you decided to change the format of your blog :)

Thank you for the kind words! Yes, please do use it :)

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It's My Life: Multimodal Autobiography Project

Resources & Preparation
Instructional Plan
Related Resources

In this unit, students write autobiographies, illustrate them, and set them to music. Music is a powerful tool to evoke emotion, and students will carefully select songs to accompany the stories from their lives. Students brainstorm lists of important events in their lives, along with images and music that represent those events. They then create storyboards in preparation for the final PowerPoint project. After making revisions, they present their final projects to their peers in class. If PowerPoint is unavailable, students might create posters and play soundtracks using cassette or CD players.

Featured Resources

Stapleless Book : Students use this online tool to plan each slide of an autobiographical PowerPoint presentation.

From Theory to Practice

According to William Kist, "students should be able to both read critically and write functionally, no matter what the medium." We have "broadened the concept of literacy" (cf. Kist) to include multimodal projects so that no student will feel isolated, and every student will gain knowledge and understanding from the sharing of ideas. As the NCTE Statement on Multimodal Literacies states, "The use of different modes of expression in student work should be integrated into the overall literacy goals of the curriculum and appropriate for time and resources invested." This lesson plan encourages such integration by asking students to create multimodal presentations. Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
It’s My Life Assignment
Presentation Music and Image Planner
It’s My Life Project Rubric
Sample Multimodal Autobiography
It’s My Life Self-Assessment

Preparation

Arrange for the use of a computer lab, projector, and CD player.
Familiarize yourself with PowerPoint. Visit the PowerPoint in the Classroom Website and the PowerPoint tutorials on adding sound and adding music for helpful information and guides. You may also choose to share these Web resources with your students.
Create a model autobiography presentation for students to view (optional).
Review fair use and copyright guidelines before having students use copyrighted music and images in their projects.
Make copies of the Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines for School Projects , It’s My Life Assignment , Presentation Music and Image Planner , Sample Multimodal Autobiography , It’s My Life Self-Assessment , and It’s My Life Project Rubric sheets for your students.
Test the Stapleless Book on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tool and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page .

Student Objectives

Students will

examine the lyrics to songs and describe how the music and words relate to their life stories.
organize their thoughts and express their stories by using PowerPoint presentations.
improve technical skills by familiarizing themselves with PowerPoint.
evaluate their own work.

Session One

Present the PowerPoint autobiography assignment to students and explain the required elements. If you have created a model presentation, you can use it to present the concept to students.
Students will select five important events in their lives. Using written summaries of these events, they will create PowerPoint multimodal autobiographies.
Students may use recordings from the radio or their personal music collections.
Students will follow guidelines for fair use of copyrighted images and music. (Explain that this topic will be discussed in detail in the next session.)
Student will present their slideshows in class. Slideshows are limited to 5–10 minutes in length.
Students will respond to their peers’ presentations in writing.
First day of school (e.g., preschool, kindergarten, first grade, middle school, high school)
A special family trip or vacation
A family event or milestone
A personal achievement (e.g., first place in a competition)
A personal loss
Explain that in this stage of the writing process, students should write down all of their ideas. If they are working in groups or with the whole class, lay ground rules that encourage all students to share their ideas with the group and that discourage students from critiquing their peers’ responses during this brainstorming stage. Explain that students will have the opportunity to evaluate their lists and select the events that they want to include in their autobiographies in later sessions.
Have students view the PowerPoint presentation Finding Your Focus: The Writing Process . Discuss the stages of the writing process—including drafting, revising, and editing—and explain that students will go through each of these stages as they work on their autobiographies. The final stage will be the actual publishing of their autobiographies in the form of PowerPoint presentations.
Ask students to select 8–10 events from their lists and write a brief paragraph summary for each one. Students may also include events that were not included on the lists they created during their brainstorming sessions.
Have students set aside these summaries to use in a later session. If necessary, have students complete this activity for homework.

Session Two

Initiate a class discussion by describing a significant event from your own life (i.e., birth of a sibling, parents’ divorce, first car). You can refer to the Sample Multimodal Autobiography for an example.
Ask a few students to share an event from their own lists, and record each event on the board.
Have students think about the events described and to connect songs to these events. For example, a student might associate a love song with a family member’s wedding ceremony.
How does the song make you feel?
What images come to mind when you think of this event?
What images come to mind when you think of this song?
Next play a song or two that you associate with the event from your own life that you’ve described. It doesn’t matter if the songs are not “current” hits; students will understand the feelings behind the music.
Ask students to discuss how the song fits the event and to suggest other songs they might associate with the same event.
Have students review the summaries they wrote in Session One.
From the list of events they described, ask students to select five to include in their autobiographical presentations.
Pass out the Presentation Music and Image Planner and have students list each of the five events they’ll include.
Have students use the Presentation Music and Image Planner to write the title of a song and describe an image for each event they will include in their presentations. Students can work with a classmate or in small groups if they are having trouble generating ideas. You may wish to have students begin this activity in class and then complete their planners for homework.
Be sure to discuss lyrics with students to assure that song selections are classroom-appropriate as determined by teacher and school policy.
Emphasize that students should avoid using music that involves profanity or derogatory remarks towards any race, gender, and/or religious affiliation. Encourage students to discuss any questionable lyrics with you in advance. Point out you will either approve students’ choice of songs and images or provide suggestions for revision on their planning sheets.
Have you ever downloaded music or other content from the Internet? What other Internet resources have you used?
You will need to use music for your presentations. What are some ways you can get the songs you’ll need? From what sources can you download music? Are all of these ways legal?
Is it OK to use other people’s music in something you are creating?
Students can use 1–5 images from the same photographer or illustrator without permission.
Up to 10% of a song can be used in a presentation. That translates to about 30 seconds from one song.
Students must include a bibliography of any work used in their presentations.
Before beginning Session Three, review students’ planners to ensure that they understand the assignment and have selected appropriate images and songs. Approve each plan, providing feedback, or make suggestions for revision.
Meet with students individually to discuss any necessary changes.

Session Three

Tape sheets of plain paper together along the short edges.
Divide a large piece of blank paper into equal rectangles.
Use a blank index card for each PowerPoint slide.
Use the ReadWriteThink Stapleless Book interactive to plan each slide of their presentation. This tool provides space for students to write the text that will appear on the slide and information about the song they will include, along with space for a simple illustration.
Before beginning their PowerPoint presentations, students should use the storyboards to lay out their text and images, and to write the titles of the songs and specific lyrics they will use for each slide.
Have students add the text of the paragraphs they wrote in Session One to their storyboards in this drafting session.
Remind students of the writing process and explain that they will have the opportunity to revise their text and other elements when they reach the revising stage.
Allow more than one session of class time to complete this work if required. You can choose to extend this activity to the next class period or have students complete their drafts for homework. Students should also have any CDs or music they want to use available for the next session.
Provide access to a scanner for students who wish to scan photographs or other images for use in their projects.
Before moving to the next session, review students’ drafts and provide feedback.

Sessions Four through Six

PowerPoint in the Classroom
PowerPoint Tutorial—Adding sound
Demo: Add music to a presentation
Once students are comfortable with PowerPoint and have practiced with the software, have them begin creating slides using their drafts/storyboards.
Remind students of the guidelines for using copyrighted music in their projects.
Share this adding sounds page from PowerPoint in the Classroom with students, which details how to add portions of a song from a CD to a PowerPoint slide.
Review students’ progress as they work and provide assistance to students who are having difficulty using PowerPoint.
Allow additional time as needed for students to work on their projects in or out of class.

Session Seven

Are slides arranged in an effective way? How are the events in my autobiography arranged? Sequentially? Thematically?
Can I do a better job of describing each event? Will the reader/viewer understand what I’m trying to communicate?
Do the images I’ve selected adequately represent the events?
Does the song reflect my feelings about each event?
Guide students in working through this stage of the writing process and encourage them to make revisions that will help them more effectively communicate the information included in their autobiographies.

Sessions Eight and Nine

When students have finished making revisions, have them take turns presenting their PowerPoint autobiographies to the class. Use a projector if you have access to one.
After all students have completed their presentations, have them respond in writing by completing the It’s My Life Self-Assessment .
Teach the ReadWriteThink lesson Copyright Infringement or Not? The Debate over Downloading Music to reinforce the concepts of fair use and copyright infringement explored in this lesson.
Teach the ReadWriteThink lesson The Year I Was Born: An Autobiographical Research Project to have students further explore the autobiography writing genre.
In place of or in addition to PowerPoint presentations, have students write a typed autobiography, a narrated audio autobiography (set to music) on CD, cassette, or MP3, or a videotaped biography. Students can use the CD/DVD Cover Creator to design and print their covers for their finished presentations.
Have students use the Profile Publisher to enhance their autobiographies by creating one or more profiles to represent themselves at different times in their lives, with a special focus on the connection between experiences and music.

Student Assessment / Reflections

Have students reflect on their projects by completing the It’s My Life Self-Assessment .
Assess students’ PowerPoint projects using the It’s My Life Project Rubric .
Professional Library
Strategy Guides
Student Interactives
Lesson Plans

The Stapleless Book can be used for taking notes while reading, making picture books, collecting facts, or creating vocabulary booklets . . . the possibilities are endless!

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Kindergarten K

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Understanding Writing Assignments

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

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How to Decipher the Paper Assignment

Many instructors write their assignment prompts differently. By following a few steps, you can better understand the requirements for the assignment. The best way, as always, is to ask the instructor about anything confusing.

Read the prompt the entire way through once. This gives you an overall view of what is going on.
Underline or circle the portions that you absolutely must know. This information may include due date, research (source) requirements, page length, and format (MLA, APA, CMS).
Underline or circle important phrases. You should know your instructor at least a little by now - what phrases do they use in class? Does he repeatedly say a specific word? If these are in the prompt, you know the instructor wants you to use them in the assignment.
Think about how you will address the prompt. The prompt contains clues on how to write the assignment. Your instructor will often describe the ideas they want discussed either in questions, in bullet points, or in the text of the prompt. Think about each of these sentences and number them so that you can write a paragraph or section of your essay on that portion if necessary.
Rank ideas in descending order, from most important to least important. Instructors may include more questions or talking points than you can cover in your assignment, so rank them in the order you think is more important. One area of the prompt may be more interesting to you than another.
Ask your instructor questions if you have any.

After you are finished with these steps, ask yourself the following:

What is the purpose of this assignment? Is my purpose to provide information without forming an argument, to construct an argument based on research, or analyze a poem and discuss its imagery?
Who is my audience? Is my instructor my only audience? Who else might read this? Will it be posted online? What are my readers' needs and expectations?
What resources do I need to begin work? Do I need to conduct literature (hermeneutic or historical) research, or do I need to review important literature on the topic and then conduct empirical research, such as a survey or an observation? How many sources are required?
Who - beyond my instructor - can I contact to help me if I have questions? Do you have a writing lab or student service center that offers tutorials in writing?

(Notes on prompts made in blue )

Poster or Song Analysis: Poster or Song? Poster!

Goals : To systematically consider the rhetorical choices made in either a poster or a song. She says that all the time.

Things to Consider: ah- talking points

how the poster addresses its audience and is affected by context I'll do this first - 1.
general layout, use of color, contours of light and shade, etc.
use of contrast, alignment, repetition, and proximity C.A.R.P. They say that, too. I'll do this third - 3.
the point of view the viewer is invited to take, poses of figures in the poster, etc. any text that may be present
possible cultural ramifications or social issues that have bearing I'll cover this second - 2.
ethical implications
how the poster affects us emotionally, or what mood it evokes
the poster's implicit argument and its effectiveness said that was important in class, so I'll discuss this last - 4.
how the song addresses its audience
lyrics: how they rhyme, repeat, what they say
use of music, tempo, different instruments
possible cultural ramifications or social issues that have bearing
emotional effects
the implicit argument and its effectiveness

These thinking points are not a step-by-step guideline on how to write your paper; instead, they are various means through which you can approach the subject. I do expect to see at least a few of them addressed, and there are other aspects that may be pertinent to your choice that have not been included in these lists. You will want to find a central idea and base your argument around that. Additionally, you must include a copy of the poster or song that you are working with. Really important!

I will be your audience. This is a formal paper, and you should use academic conventions throughout.

Length: 4 pages Format: Typed, double-spaced, 10-12 point Times New Roman, 1 inch margins I need to remember the format stuff. I messed this up last time =(

Academic Argument Essay

5-7 pages, Times New Roman 12 pt. font, 1 inch margins.

Minimum of five cited sources: 3 must be from academic journals or books

Design Plan due: Thurs. 10/19
Rough Draft due: Monday 10/30
Final Draft due: Thurs. 11/9

Remember this! I missed the deadline last time

The design plan is simply a statement of purpose, as described on pages 40-41 of the book, and an outline. The outline may be formal, as we discussed in class, or a printout of an Open Mind project. It must be a minimum of 1 page typed information, plus 1 page outline.

This project is an expansion of your opinion editorial. While you should avoid repeating any of your exact phrases from Project 2, you may reuse some of the same ideas. Your topic should be similar. You must use research to support your position, and you must also demonstrate a fairly thorough knowledge of any opposing position(s). 2 things to do - my position and the opposite.

Your essay should begin with an introduction that encapsulates your topic and indicates 1 the general trajectory of your argument. You need to have a discernable thesis that appears early in your paper. Your conclusion should restate the thesis in different words, 2 and then draw some additional meaningful analysis out of the developments of your argument. Think of this as a "so what" factor. What are some implications for the future, relating to your topic? What does all this (what you have argued) mean for society, or for the section of it to which your argument pertains? A good conclusion moves outside the topic in the paper and deals with a larger issue.

You should spend at least one paragraph acknowledging and describing the opposing position in a manner that is respectful and honestly representative of the opposition’s 3 views. The counterargument does not need to occur in a certain area, but generally begins or ends your argument. Asserting and attempting to prove each aspect of your argument’s structure should comprise the majority of your paper. Ask yourself what your argument assumes and what must be proven in order to validate your claims. Then go step-by-step, paragraph-by-paragraph, addressing each facet of your position. Most important part!

Finally, pay attention to readability . Just because this is a research paper does not mean that it has to be boring. Use examples and allow your opinion to show through word choice and tone. Proofread before you turn in the paper. Your audience is generally the academic community and specifically me, as a representative of that community. Ok, They want this to be easy to read, to contain examples I find, and they want it to be grammatically correct. I can visit the tutoring center if I get stuck, or I can email the OWL Email Tutors short questions if I have any more problems.

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Your Life’s Assignment

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Additional information.

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How to find your purpose
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What you “do” may not be your life’s assignment
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35 Personal Narrative Assignments

Descriptive personal narrative.

To synthesize what you’ve learned about description, narration, and reflection, you will write a personal narrative. This is generally a nonfiction, prose essay (similar to a memoir), but your instructor might provide additional guidelines in regard to genre, media, approach, or assessment standards.

Your task is to identify an influential place, event, or person from your life experience about which you can tell a story. Then, you will write a narrative essay that relates that story and considers the impact it had on you, your worldview, and/or your life path. Using model texts in this book as exemplars, you will tell a story (narrate) using vivid description and draw out meaning and insight using reflection.

As you’ll evaluate below, descriptive personal narratives have a variety of purposes. One important one is to share a story that stands in for a bigger idea. Do not be worried if you don’t know the “bigger idea” yet, but be advised that your final draft will narrate a focused, specific moment that represents something about who you are, how you got here, what you believe, or what you strive to be.

Literacy Narrative

Think about your experience reading and writing. Did you want to learn, or was it simply expected of you? Did you in any way teach yourself, or did you learn from a schoolteacher or a relative? What book or other text has been significant to you? Is there a particular writing or reading task that you found challenging? Write a literacy narrative, reflecting on a significant moment in your writing and/or reading experience. This experience can be from childhood or from the more recent past. As you write, keep in mind the following key features of a literacy narrative: vivid detail, well-told story, some indication of the narrative’s significance.

Be sure to apply the concepts you learn in class to your writing.

Before you begin, consider your rhetorical situation:

Writing a Personal Narrative

By E. Anderson

This presentation walks students through the process of writing a personal narrative. It introduces and defines the essential characteristics of personal narratives.

Personal Narrative Basic Rubric

Pre-writing.

You are going to be doing a fast write to brainstorm/pre-write for your personal narrative. Recall that a personal narrative is a personal story that you share with your audience in order to make a point or to convey a message. The strongest and most poignant personal narratives often result from writing about something ordinary. You may write about the common, but make it uncommon.When thinking about writing a personal narrative remember that it is not just what happens but what you, the author, makes of what happens.

Here are some questions to review before you begin your personal narrative free-write.

Tell what you know or have heard about any of your ancestors other than your parents and grandparents. Include significant details when possible.
When were you born? What were you told about your birth and infancy, and who told you?
What kinds of “make-believe” do you remember playing? What did you find amazing as a child?
Recall your earliest memories of school. What do you remember feeling about your first few years in school. What do you remember learning? What do you remember liking about school? What was difficult or frightening?
Who were your childhood friends and what did you most like to do together? Who was your best friend and how did the friendship begin?
What did you do when you came home from school? Who would be there?
Imagine your family during a typical mealtime. What do you see going on around you? What would you be eating? What was regular Saturday like? Sunday?
What kinds of music did you hear as a child? Write a memory that involves music.
What were the reading material in your home? Who read to you?
Were there television shows and movies that made an impression on you as a child?
What did “being good” mean in your family? What work was expected of you as a child? What else seemed expected of you as a child, either stated or unstated?
What were the historical events taking place in your childhood and how were you aware of them?
Tell of time when you gained confidence in yourself.
What were some of your fears? Tell about a time where you felt extremely frightened?
When were the times that adults let you down?
What questions did you have that did not seem to have answers?
What were some of the things you wanted to do as a child but could not? Which of them were forbidden to do? Which were unavailable or unaffordable? Which were beyond your abilities as a child?
What do you know about your grandparents’ lives? What do you remember feeling about your grandparents?
What have you heard about your mother’s childhood? What did you hear about your father’s childhood?
What sense about marriage did you get from your parents?
Picture yourself as a child. Now imagine that this child is standing in front of you this moment. What would you like to say to this child?

Allow students to use an online timer for their freewrite. HERE is a link to one of many online timers.

Peer Editing

This type of peer editing was originally meant to be used in a discussion thread format in an online course. However, these are the questions that peer editors were specifically asked to address in detail. (This was in addition to grammatical and mechanical errors.)

What was the NARRATIVE EFFECT? (Recall that the narrative effect is the main point of the story–the moral, the message, or the insight that the writer offers.)
Find an element of STYLE that the writer used well. (show, not tell, sensory language, diction, figurative language, point of view, expressive words, etc.)
Name one thing that the writer could do to improve this personal narrative.

Self Editing

Students were asked to (1) read their personal narrative out loud and (2) use paperrater.com . This is a free web tool that proofreads, checks grammar and offers writing suggestions.

Write What Matters Copyright © 2020 by Liza Long; Amy Minervini; and Joel Gladd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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The Greatest Thing You Can Do with Your Life
Be Faithful to Your Assignment. "The greatest thing you can do with your life is to live to the hilt the adventurous assignment God has given you.". The Spirit tells us through Paul, "Let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him.". Perhaps you're thinking, You don't know my circumstances. Without wanting to be ...
Your Life's Assignment
Your Life's Assignment. My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned. me by the Lord. Acts 20:24. When I was just out of school, I had the "perfect plan" for my life. I would marry the perfect man, have the perfect children, live a perfect life. It's almost laughable when I think about it now, but ...
Your Life's Assignment
When you can accept your limitations, you're on the road to understanding your life's assignment. When you pretend to be something you're not, you live with a chronic sense of inadequacy and set yourself up for frustration. Don't do that. Be open to the truth about yourself. Discover your God-given assignment, then give yourself to it.
Five Steps to Finding Your Life Purpose
Here are some of the key steps I suggest to get started exploring your purpose. Step 1: Find out what drives you. Source: Pixabay. When I was a teenager, I was at a party and came upon a friend of ...
5 Ways to Discover Your Life's Purpose and Live Your Best Life
So, take some time to reflect on your assignment, and let it guide you on your journey through life. Assignment in life, Purpose, Fulfilling life, Personal assignment, Identifying your assignment, Gifts and talents, Interests and dislikes, Dreams and aspirations, Ignorance is not bliss, Living a fulfilled life, Significance of assignments, Life ...
How to fulfill your life's assignment
God has no hands, feet or voice on earth, except ours. Our assignment is to do His work while we are here on the earth. A good second step might be to locate yourself in the Body of Christ, as explained in Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. You have a specific function to fulfill.
How To Create Your Life Map and Empower Yourself Today
Find those pens or markers or pencil and paper or notebook if you're doing this on paper. Create time. Leave aside 30 minutes — 1 hour. You can always do less or more, but this is just a general guideline to thoughtfully reflect on the course of your life, its high and low points, as well as stable times.
Recognizing God's Assignment for Your Life| Infinity Concepts
Then as your life surrounds that revelation it comes to life within you. That revelation released into the world through your thoughts, words, and actions is your Godly assignment. This is a hallmark, ... Secondly, to effectively fulfill your assignment you must learn to limit. You cannot read everything — know everything — do everything ...
Knowing Your Specific Assignment In Life (Part 1)
c. When your thoughts line up with the Word of God, you will have great results in life. 8. God will guide you on your assignment by giving you insight. C. Keeping your course as you perform your assignment. 1. God gave you His spirit so that you can know Him better and keep on course to complete your assignment. 2.
Your Assignment From God
Both God and the devil have a plan for your life. God has an assignment for you and Satan has an assignment for you. Today I want to talk about "Your Assignment From God.". Only by accepting God's assignment for your life will you be doing something significant. Only by accepting God's assignment for your life will you be part of making ...
How to Write a Life Story Essay (with Pictures)
1. Determine the goal of your essay. An autobiographical essay, also called a personal narrative essay, should tell the reader about your life, personality, values and goals. The essay should tell the reader what is important to you, what your values are, and any life experiences that influenced the way you experience the world. [1]
Your Life's Assignment
Scripture of the Day (December 3, 2020) But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. (Acts 20:24, NLT) There is probably nothing more important to born-again…
Worksheets and Discussion Questions
United States. Designing Your Work Life Worksheets. Energy Engagement Worksheet. Failure Log Worksheet. Good Time Journal Activity Log. Love, Play, Work, Health Dashboard Worksheet. Odyssey Planning Worksheet. Improvs and Warm-ups.
PDF Timeline of My Life
Handout: Assignment Requirements A Timeline of My Life Your assignment is to create a book outlining the events of your life and your life to come and put them into a scrapbook. You will need to apply information from the developmental theorists that have been covered already to this assignment. You may need to talk to parents, guardians,
What is Your Mission and Vision in Life?
Mission: an important assignment, a calling. Vision: a view or idea of how something could be in the future. Related: The Life Changing Magic of Having a Vision. Contents hide. 1 Mission. ... Again, your life's mission and vision is such an important topic. It's something you should know. To take it one step further you should life out your ...
Designing Your Life
The course uses design thinking to address the "wicked problem" of designing your life and career. This class offers a framework, tools, and most importantly a place and a community of peers and mentors where we'll work on these issues through assigned readings, reflections, and in-class exercises. The course employs a design thinking ...
Understanding Assignments
What this handout is about. The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms ...
The Tree of Life: A Simple Exercise for Reclaiming Your Identity and
It is a visual metaphor in which a tree represents your life and the various elements that make it up-past, present, and future. By labeling these parts, you not only begin to discover (or perhaps rediscover) aspects of yourself shaped by the past, but you can then begin to actively cultivate your tree to reflect the kind of person you want to be moving forward.
It's My Life: Multimodal Autobiography Project
Overview. In this unit, students write autobiographies, illustrate them, and set them to music. Music is a powerful tool to evoke emotion, and students will carefully select songs to accompany the stories from their lives. Students brainstorm lists of important events in their lives, along with images and music that represent those events.
Discover Your Life's Purpose: 5 Ways to Understand Your ...
Discover Your Life's Purpose: 5 Ways to Understand Your Personal Assignment and Live Your Best Life!Discovering your life assignment can be challenging, but ...
Understanding Writing Assignments
Many instructors write their assignment prompts differently. By following a few steps, you can better understand the requirements for the assignment. The best way, as always, is to ask the instructor about anything confusing. Read the prompt the entire way through once. This gives you an overall view of what is going on.
Your Life's Assignment
What you "do" may not be your life's assignment; God has given each of us a life's assignment; God chose us! How to do it God's way; Your assignment lives on the inside of you; Additional information. Weight: 2 lbs: Dimensions: 6 × 10 × 1 in: Related products. Select options. Stand Up $ 14.00 - $ 28.00; Select options.
Personal Narrative Assignments
Grading Criteria for Personal Narrative. Max Score. Description. -/3. (Focus) Personal narrative has a narrative effect. (A narrative effect is the main point of your story—the moral, the message, or the insight you offer.) -/3. (Development) Personal narrative has details and depth. The setting is used to immerse the reader into the ...
MyStudyLife
Transform your study habits and get better grades with MyStudyLife's game-changing student planner. Organize your schedule, track homework and achieve success . Revolutionize the way you tackle your academic journey with MyStudyLife, the ultimate high school or college schedule planner and online organizer rolled into one. Seamlessly integrate your academic life with this comprehensive tool ...
What Is Your Life Assignment?
Be willing to spend time alone find your life's assignment. You will never discover it by being constantly busy, surrounded by others and distracted. Begin to write down your plans, your dreams, your goals, your desires, and make a habit to getting your thoughts down on paper on a regular basis. Whether you are a writer or not, it doesn't ...

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THE COUNTERSTORY PROJECT

How To Create Your Life Map and Empower Yourself Today

PART 1: PREPARATION

PART 2: BRAINSTORM & LIST EVERYTHING DOWN.

LIST EVERYTHING DOWN

PART 3: DRAW YOUR LIFE MAP

PART 4: NEXT STEPS: REFLECTING ON YOUR LIFE MAP

(OPTIONAL) PART 5: WRITE A JOURNAL ENTRY

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Knowing Your Specific Assignment In Life (Part 1) Series

Summary: We all have a specific assignment from God when we became a Christian. We must uncover what are assignment is, how to complete it with God’s help and be a blessing to the Body of Christ.

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