Over the past several years, I've heard a lot of people talk about mission statements and the need for them. I've even heard others talk about personal mission statements. I must admit that it took a long time for me to come around to the personal mission statement idea, mostly because I had it backward. I thought I needed to create a mission statement, then live by it. I then realized what I really needed was to create a mission statement that fit me and the way I live or want to live.

I was always mystified by Steven Covey, author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, who stated that his mission statement was only one word, but he would never say what that word was. How can a mission statement be only one word? Then, I had my own epiphany: a personal mission statement that was only two words. I want to share my mission statement with you. I think it's not only how I live my life, but how and why the fire service does what it does. Be SHARP! That's it, two words. Actually, it's an acronym for the full mission statement, but it is definitely easy for me to remember.

Serve with honor

The “S” stands for service, the contribution to the welfare of others or compliance with the commands, demands and needs of others.

Isn't this what we do every day, every shift, every time we respond to a call? It doesn't matter if you are paid or not, shift or days; we all serve others each and every day. We are willing to lay down our lives for people we don't know. We study, test and study some more. We train at all hours of the day and night; we respond any time anywhere we are called. It is in our very nature to serve. I hope that others will remember me as someone who was willing to count the cost and continue to serve others.

I think Arthur Ashe defined a hero when he said, “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” Most of that is true, anyway. Our jobs can be very dramatic, but most of us do it with little or no fanfare, mostly because we don't want or need it. That's not why we took the job.

You've probably heard the following quote by Mahatma Gandhi: “I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” I like that but I really like this next quote from the ecclesiastical writer Tertullian, “He who lives only to benefit himself confers on the world a benefit when he dies.”

The “H” is for honor, or high public esteem, fame and glory; honesty and integrity in one's beliefs and actions; and high respect for worth, merit or rank.

In today's society, I think that honor is one of the qualities I miss most. I have the opportunity to spend a lot of time around teenagers, and the lack of respect they show is amazing. The sad thing is, they learned it from adults. We as leaders, people who have influence, must respect and honor others. We certainly know how to show respect to rank, and we generally honor our “customers” when they are in need. For me the rule is simple: Treat others the way I would like to be treated, and treat others more highly than myself.

Look inward

The “A” is for attitude, or the manner, feeling or position toward a person or thing.

Attitude is what keeps us on course, so it's also something that must be constantly evaluated, like a plane flying from Los Angeles to New York. The pilot knows where he intends to land, but must make constant corrections to his course throughout the flight for wind and weather. Attitudes are exactly like that. We must evaluate them throughout the day to make sure we will be able to reach our destination.

And exactly how can you tell what your attitude is? Are you angry or bitter? Is it easier to find fault rather than compliment? Do you find yourself making comments under your breath that you really don't want others to hear? Do you find that others tend to avoid you at times? If any of the above get a “yes,” then maybe you have a bad attitude. One of the areas where we have the greatest ability to make the right choice is in our attitude, how we respond to situations and people. Keep a positive attitude and you will not only have greater joy in your life, you also will be a source of joy to others.

As Thomas Jefferson said, “Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.”

The “R” stands for responsibility, or moral, legal or mental accountability. It's the ability to answer for one's actions, conduct and obligations.

In our department, we have a truck with compartment doors that open up. You know the type, great in the rain because you can stand under them and stay a bit drier. One morning as I was checking the inventory on the truck, I left a compartment door in the up position while I got into the cab to answer the radio. While I was there, I thought I would just ease the truck out so I could pump it. You can see where this is going. The door came crashing down — along with my pride. I quickly jumped from the truck to see the door on the floor rocking ever so gently. Life as I knew it had completely changed, as my yearly evaluation was being written at the time of this incident.

I had three choices: run, blame it on the person calling me on the radio or take responsibility for my actions. I chose to take responsibility. Actually, I even offered to write my own reprimand. I deserved it, and unfortunately, that's what I received.

Our jobs come with tremendous responsibility. We have people's lives in our hands. Citizens depend on us to help them in those very abnormal situations they find themselves in that we call normal. The burden of responsibility can be very heavy at times.

We must be willing to take responsibility for the things we do wrong and to learn from them. We also must be willing to accept responsibility for the things we do right. The men and women of the fire service add tremendous value to the community, not only through the work we do every day, but also by the community service we perform, the tours we give to children, the smoke detectors we install and more. Be bold enough to take responsibility when appropriate and learn. Failure only happens when we do not learn from our mistakes. Also, be willing to accept responsibility when it is earned.

Respect yourself

Finally, the “P” stands for pride, that self-respect and feeling of self-esteem arising from one's accomplishments.

I don't want you to think that walking around with your chest sticking out is what I mean by pride. It's not boasting about your accomplishments; it's about accomplishments that are done to the best of your ability. Morgan Freeman said it very well: “Never let pride be your guiding principle. Let your accomplishments speak for you.” Do the best you can and you never will be disappointed.

I recently heard of a young man who asked Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, “How do you get ahead in business, how do you stand out, or ‘get out of the pile’?” His answer was simple: “Always do your best and go the extra mile. When others ask you to take on a task, many times they already know the outcome, but they are giving you an opportunity. Give it all you have, and you'll get out of the pile and stand alone.”

Now that I have my own personal mission statement, I really do think about it often. If you like it, make it your own, or maybe there is something here that will help you determine what your personal mission statement should be. My hope for you as you serve your department and community is that you do it with the attitude of a servant, honoring those you contact and showing them the respect they all deserve. Do it all to the best of your ability.

Serve others. Those who want to be raised up, must learn to serve. Honor everyone and they will honor you. Keep a good attitude; it makes all the difference in the world on how high you will go. Take responsibility for your actions, good or bad. It is the mark of integrity. Be proud of all you accomplish, and keep your vision and focus pure.

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David G. Small is a 20-year veteran of the Hobbs (N.M.) Fire Department, currently serving in the position of battalion chief. He has been an instructor for many fire service courses and CISM for more than 15 years. Small has been received several awards for innovation from the New Mexico State EMS Bureau and has served on several boards and committees within his community and state.