by Billie Orr, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Prescott
The Prescott Commission on Well-Being discovered early on in the quest to define our vision and mission that there is a balance of many elements interdependent on each other to create an overall sense of well-being.
Our vision to become the premier city of well-being in America can only be achieved if we are able to fulfill our mission of engaging the citizens who live, learn, work and play in the Prescott area in the lifelong pursuit of well-being through communication, motivation and action.
The commission’s five elements of well-being are: purpose, community, social, financial and physical well-being. Over the next several months, we will study each element, beginning this month with: purpose.
About 12 years ago, my husband and I were at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix beginning a monthlong trip starting in Hong Kong, and I needed a book for the long flight. I spotted a title that caught my eye and eventually changed my life. The Blue Zones: 9 Lessons for Living Longer, by Dan Buettner, was an amazing read and began my personal journey of well-being.
The author traveled the world studying the longest-living people in what he called the “Blue Zones,” five of the healthiest locales on the globe. His mission was to find the common denominators that contributed to living long, healthy and happy lives. One concept that stuck with me about his research was his statement: “They wake up in the morning knowing they have a purpose. Okinawans call it ikigai, Nicoyans (from Costa Rica) call it plan de vida; both translate to “why I wake up in the morning.’”
As a Christian woman, wife and mother, my faith and family are strong foundations of my personal purpose. Servant leadership to our great City of Prescott and organizations that contribute to our amazing quality of life drive me daily to get up and get going to make it a great day for the City of Prescott.
Try writing your personal statement of purpose. What drives you to get up in the morning? What motivates you to achieve your goals?
Next month, we’ll explore community well-being.
Photo: Board members Sherrie Hanna and Billie Orr thanks Dr. Hojat Askari for his generous support of the Western Heritage Center.