Maria Shriver’s Pledge

Excerpts from Maria Shriver’s Pledge taken from Oprah.com and published in her book Just Who Will You Be?: Big Question. Little Book. Answer Within.

1. I pledge to “show up” in my life as myself, not as an imitation of anyone else.

2. I pledge to avoid using the word “just” to describe myself. For example, I won’t say, “I’m just a mother,” “I’m just a student” or “I’m just an ordinary person.”

3. I pledge to give myself ten minutes of silence and stillness every day to get in touch with my heart and hear my own voice.

4. I pledge to use my voice to connect my dreams to my actions.

5. I pledge to use my voice to empower myself and others.

6. I pledge to serve my community at least once a year in a way that will benefit other people.

7. I pledge to ask myself, “Who am I? What do I believe in? What am I grateful for? What do I want my life to stand for?”

8. I pledge to sit down and write my own mission statement.

9. I pledge to live my own legacy.

10. And I pledge to pass it on.

I’ve believed, for a while now, that women would have a million times more access to our own power if we stopped limiting ourselves with the word “just” and focused on showing up as ourselves and living a legacy worth passing on.

This is a pledge I’m taking for myself.

You?