The Magnificent Seven

When I was a young boy, my brother and I watched a movie called the Magnificent Seven. The film tells the story of a poor village in Mexico plagued by bandits. The village elders send several men across the border to the U.S. to search for gunfighters to defend them. They find seven – hence the title – played by the likes of Charles Bronson, Yul Brenner, Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughan and James Coburn. My brother and I were so taken with the movie that I think we played in cowboy outfits for the next six months!

The movie captured the popular imagination so well that it had several sequels. I believe it did so because it had a cast of strong characters who overcame great odds to accomplish a compelling mission.

As we seek to live out our values, make our vision reality, and fulfill our mission, we will need to decide exactly how to do that. What specifically will you accomplish in your life that would allow you to know that you have led a life of significance? I encourage you to identify seven worthwhile things you would like to accomplish that will allow you to say with confidence that you have fulfilled your life mission. Call them “The Magnificent Seven,” and set out with the courage and determination worthy of a good old western. Your story may never become a Hollywood movie, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing you have accomplished the mission you set out to do.

The Magnificent Seven

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