The Constitution is the guiding document of a country, outlining the fundamental governing principles. It upholds the quality of life of individuals and is probably the most important document. Just as a nation needs a constitution, we too need a personal constitution, a document that guides and governs us.

Reflecting on what we want to achieve in life can be challenging but important nevertheless. Not everyone is clear on what is their purpose, even though it sounds simple and we have heard it often enough. Making an effort to write down our thoughts starts clarifying our own mind.

Documenting our goals and regularly reviewing them keeps us on track. We realise much about our own discipline, consistency and commitment when we map our plans with our progress.

Writing down the values and principles we believe in helps. Even though we know them, when we start putting them down, we start discovering deeper thoughts.

Mapping our life against the very values we have listed is critical. It is not difficult to articulate the right things; it is not always easy living up to them. When we sit in silence and are honest with the changes we need to bring about, and find the courage to make amends, we start shaping our life.

Sometimes we forget all the responsibilities we carry. When we reflect beyond the obvious, we will realise there are many we need to care for and reach out to. Deciding to redirect our time and energy to include those we may have neglected enriches us.

Listing out the unresolved issues and strained relationships that need mending is the starting point for building bridges. Often we want to blank out difficult people from our minds, but deep down we know we need closure with some of them. Acknowledging those we need closure with moves us out of our comfort zone for our own growth.

Being guided by our inner voice during quiet time is extremely powerful, but we can easily lose the potency if we are not disciplined about putting pen to paper. Inspired thoughts can soon evaporate if not captured.

The habit of writing allows the deeper thoughts to surface, allowing us to not only proceed in a manner we had never imagined, but also going back as a reference when in doubt or when things become a challenge.

When we start writing our personal constitution, we will shape in our mind the life we want to give ourselves. And as we grow and find we have what we wanted and yet there seems to be something missing in our life, we will have to go back and re-write our constitution.

( Picture – my favourite coffee shop in Vancouver )