After Mornings, Moments, and Mission, the 4th “M” is Milestones. Through milestones, one can see the unfolding of an one’s entire life as practice that can begin with a single conscious breath.
From “A New Republic of the Heart”, the author Terry Patten explains…
“Mission is powerfully bound to the fourth M—Milestones. One’s mission is global. But one’s actions must be concrete and time-specific. That means that we enact our mission through a series of specific projects.
We are always involved in projects, or Milestones—finding an intimate partner, raising a child, creating a home or garden, building a business, writing a book, preparing for a performance or competition, creating a website, seminar, podcast, product, publication—you get the idea.
We actualize our purpose, or mission, through a series of specific projects. When we take on a project (1) for the sake of something bigger than ourselves, (2) in partnership with a higher power or source of grace, and (3) with a willingness for the process to teach and transform us, it becomes a very real and powerful practice. It can become a transformative passage, and when you complete the project you will have grown significantly beyond who you were when you began it.
Much of the life of practice expresses itself in our Milestone projects. We all do this naturally. You are probably working on several milestones right now.”