My Mission Statement Is So….Anpanman?

Mission Statements, Time Management and KPOP! Oh My!

Writing has this peculiar tendency to corral vague thoughts and ideas, shove them into the spotlight, and turn them into concrete, black and white subjects. That happened as I was describing my observations of Korean pop (KPOP) and the Asian music world in my last piece, Observations of a Gen-X KPOP Fan. I was happily noting what I’d discovered, when the unexpected happened. Suddenly, I was chasing the tail of an idea between my worldview and KPOP. More precisely, my mission statement echoes the ideas behind the lyrics to one particular KPOP song by the Bangtan Boys (BTS), “Anpanman”.

Ok, so why do I have a mission statement? No, I’m not some ultra organized crusader, though I’d like to be. It’s more like I’m teaching a home school class to my high school aged daughter on effective time management. More specifically, I’m teaching the class using Stephen Covey’s First Things First as the textbook.

Mr. Covey uses what he calls a  Fourth Generation time management system. It utilizes a compass, rather than a clock, to put meaningful things into the forefront of your schedule. Connecting to one’s inner compass is achieved via the mission statement. Leading by example in this class is the best way to teach, so, viola! Mission statement.

Finding My Mission Statement In A Happily Unexpected Place: A KPOP Song

Writing out a mission statement takes some soul searching, but it ultimately should flow out of strong convictions deep within. I knew I was hitting pay dirt when a resounding “Yes!” echoed inside as the following was nailed down onto the page:

“Unleashing the power to create positive change, I am living each day striving to contribute to something meaningful, to let others see their immeasurable worth, to inspire others to greatness, to cheer them on as they reach for that greatness, and to encourage them to keep going when they stumble.”

And then I read the following lyrics from “Anpanman” that echoed my mission statement:

“I’m not a superhero

Don’t expect a lot

I can be your hero

I’m really not sure whether that even makes sense

But mom, I really need to do it

Who’s gonna do it if it isn’t me?

You can call me, say Anpan”

I want to be a force for good. Taking my mission statement off the page, I want to make it into something real that has meaning and impact. I want to bring others along with me, inspire them to reach for their own greatness, cheer them on, encourage them, nurture them. I was looking for a means by which to do that. One showed up when I started taking these thoughts out of my head and putting them to paper. My mission statement had become a reality without my even trying to make it so. I just had to recognize it once it existed, and it existed once I started studying and writing about East Asia. I recognized it when I read the lyrics of  “Anpanman”.

But Wait. Who IS Anpanman?

Anpanman was created as a children’s picture book by Japanese writer Takashi Yanase. It later became an anime series, and most recently is the subject of the song by BTS. Anpanman’s name is derived from his head, which is a bun filled with sweet red bean jam. This classic Japanese pastry is known as an anpan.

Anpanman goes on adventures, saving the world from his bacterial nemesis, Baikinman. He can fly, but his real superpower is the ability to save starving children by allowing them to eat some of his anpan head. This saves the children, but weakens Anpanman until his head is replaced by the baker who is his creator in the story. Once this happens, though, Anpanman is a new, remade superhero.

In BTS’s lyrics, they describe how they want to be heros for their fans and that all they have to give is anpan, or themselves. Even though they grapple with fears, doubts, haters, and physical injuries, they still keep remaking themselves and pushing on. By doing so, they show their fans how to persevere too.

So How In The World Do I Become Anpanman?

I’m pretty sure I won’t be saving the world from any arch nemesis any time soon, and I’m not part of a famous KPOP group, but I could be Anpanman after my own fashion. One of the most influential people in my life was the kind of Anpanman I want to be. Dr. Yaverbaum was an older gentleman I was privileged enough to work under in my late teens and early 20s. He always saw more in me than I did, and he nurtured and championed me and pushed me to reach higher. The most lasting thing he taught me through words and example is that above all else I must always learn. “It keeps you young. You stay engaged in the business of living.”

By Paying It Forward.

I realize this process of always learning, of staying engaged in life, and of remaking myself can sometimes be daunting. Fears, doubts, physical injuries, and possibly even haters will assail me. But what if I keep replacing stagnation with exploring new worlds, meeting new people, learning new things? What if, like Anpanman, BTS, and Dr. Yaverbaum, I continually remake and even give of myself? If by doing that I could inspire even one other person to realize they are capable of that too, if I could encourage and cheer them on as they reached for that, if they could see their worth and value through the process, then I think I just might feel a little like Anpanman. It’s a humbling thought that I could be used in that capacity in another person’s life, but how I would love to see them fly.

What If I Can’t Fly? Oh, My Chickadees, What If You Can?!

Still, flight takes courage, especially as one grows older. I understand how disconcerting it can be to step out of the comfort zone and take on that challenge. The fears and hopes I’m facing as I personally take on the challenge of putting my mission statement into practice are ones each of us face when taking up something new and remaking ourselves. I think these lyrics from “Anpanman”, sung by my favorite BTS member, Namjoon, sum them up best:

‘Sometimes I’m afraid of all this

Because I came to have so many things that I love

Some say, you’re almost an old fossil now

You’re not qualified, Just do what you’ve been doing before

But I still want to be a hero

All I can give you is Anpan’