If you know me or you’ve been keeping up with my blog, you know I’m always looking for ways to expand my mind by seeking new experiences. My newest endeavor to expand the mind is to start a church tour, which I’ve titled “Church Tours” to avoid confusion. The Church Tours are for me (and for my boyfriend, if he’s up for it) for exploration. I was raised Roman Catholic, but let’s just say I didn’t buy in. Up until now, I only attended church when I had to, for things like weddings and baptisms. Other than that, I was at a loss when it came to understanding why it was so important to be there. I always felt that if I believed in myself and treated others with respect and dignity, I was all set. That all changed recently when I decided that the religious world is one I should explore.

I started this Sunday with the Unitarian Universalist Church in Springfield. I won’t bore you with every detail, just the big lessons and how it did in fact expand my mind. The service was interesting and got us thinking about the special people in our lives who have passed away and how we remember them after they are gone. The woman leading the service talked about starting an altar of sorts in our homes to remind us of the people and things in our lives that are important to us. As soon as she said that, it occurred to me that I have very few pictures of my family. I also realized that I don’t have a lot of material items I am particularly attached to. After a few days, I got a few things together. I think there will be much more as I go, but it’s a start.

My altar, so far...

The other interesting question she asked was this: If you could leave behind one item for your family to remember you by, what would it be? I had an unbelievably hard time with this. I’ve had great experiences and built wonderful memories, but nothing material stood out to me right away. It took me a few hours, until I realized that my upcoming book, The Anti-Resume Revolution would have to be the thing. The reason I would pick this is because the book isn’t only a guide for job seekers and aspiring entrepreneurs, it’s also a story about my life and my experiences. That works, right?

So, what is the one thing you would pick for your family to remember you by? Why?

If you were going to create an altar of items that are important to you, what would you decide to include?

The questions we were asked in church reminded me a lot of the questions I ask  my clients to help them come up with their branding statements. In order to figure out how to communicate your message to others, you first need to understand what is important to you! If you want to connect with others on an emotional level (instead of a superficial one), you can use the items you choose to help you create a meaningful story about your life, your path, and your dreams. If you really want your personal brand to be authentic, this is a great place to start!

At this point, the Church Tour is far from over. I am visiting 6 more churches in the area over the next couple of months to expand my mind and get me thinking in new ways. I mentioned this concept to a friend yesterday and he said he could never do this. I asked why, and he responded by saying that he doesn’t like being scheduled to worship something. I feel the same way, but I’m finding that the best part about church is that even though they can ask you to physically be there at a scheduled time, they can never have your mind and the freedom of ideas you will experience as you open yourself up to new perspectives and ideals.

Church is what you make of it, as is everything in life.

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