Personal mission statements are valuable because they make us think about, reflect on, and plan for where we want to be in the long-term. This gives us something we can take measurable steps toward rather than just daydream about. Short-term goals are also important and offer their own unique benefits in helping us achieve success. Many people argue that the difference between a goal and a dream is that a goal is something you can actively work toward to measure your progress.
Create one initial post
For your initial post, address the following:
Explain the value of personal mission statements and short-term goals in your own words. Don’t just restate a book definition.
Identify how personal mission statements and short-term goals will impact your ability to be successful.
Consider providing a real-world example of how these can be used for your success
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
The Value of Personal Mission Statements and Short-Term Goals
In my own words, personal mission statements and short-term goals hold immense value in shaping our lives and driving us towards success. A personal mission statement serves as a guiding light, a compass that directs our actions and decisions. It compels us to reflect on our values, aspirations, and purpose in life. By articulating our core beliefs and long-term vision, a personal mission statement provides a framework for us to align our actions and make choices that are in line with our ultimate goals.
Short-term goals, on the other hand, act as stepping stones towards the realization of our long-term vision. While a personal mission statement sets the destination, short-term goals break down that grand vision into manageable, actionable steps. They provide us with a sense of direction and enable us to make progress incrementally. Short-term goals empower us to take measurable actions and track our progress along the way.
The impact of personal mission statements and short-term goals on our ability to be successful is profound. When we have a clear mission statement, we gain clarity about what we truly want to achieve in life. It serves as a source of motivation during challenging times, reminding us of our purpose and driving us forward. By setting short-term goals that are aligned with our mission, we create a roadmap that allows us to make consistent progress towards our long-term vision.
To illustrate this, let’s consider a real-world example: a person aspiring to become a successful entrepreneur. This person might develop a personal mission statement that emphasizes their desire to create innovative solutions that improve people’s lives. Based on this mission, they can then set short-term goals such as acquiring business knowledge through courses or mentorship, building a network of industry professionals, and creating a prototype for their product or service.
By having a personal mission statement, this individual stays focused on their ultimate goal and ensures that their decisions and actions align with their values. The short-term goals act as milestones along the entrepreneurial journey, enabling them to measure their progress and make necessary adjustments if needed. With each accomplished goal, they gain confidence and momentum, propelling them closer to their long-term vision of becoming a successful entrepreneur.
In conclusion, personal mission statements and short-term goals are invaluable tools for success. They provide us with a sense of purpose, direction, and focus by aligning our actions with our ultimate aspirations. By breaking down our long-term vision into actionable steps, we can measure our progress and make continuous advancements towards our goals. Whether it’s in personal or professional endeavors, the combination of a clear mission statement and well-defined short-term goals lays the foundation for sustainable success and fulfillment in life.
