May is the month of my birth. This year I mark the big 7-0. The day calls for some recognition I suppose; I intend to remind my kids (often), so they don’t forget!
What days in your life are marked with celebrations, evaluations, memories, future plans, and more? How do you recognize your day in history along with other people who have crossed your path, as they recognize their day in history, no matter what it is?
How we celebrate is often an indication of what we truly value.
Which leads us to ask, “What do you truly value?”
Values are core principles around which life is built. Values are part of a Four Point message to transform individuals and teams. They are closely aligned with The Four Questions, below. When consulting as a career and vocation, I utilized these core concepts constantly all over the United States:
Values, Vision, Mission, and Message
Values: the principles upon which we agree
Vision: the reasons why our organization or team exists
Mission: our actions in fulfillment of values and vision
Message: the lessons we learn, model, and teach to the people we are called to reach
The Four Questions
- Who are you at your core?
This is a question of values. This question seeks to know the heart-core of the individuals, what makes them tick, what are their principled, unchangeable, bedrock beliefs upon which their entire world-view and actions are based. In a trustworthy candidate or team participant, these values will likely include but not be limited to intangibles of integrity, trust, commitment, faithfulness, respect, cooperation, and love. - What are you called to accomplish?
This is a question of vision. Vision gives purpose. Where this question is answered with a list of tangibles, the candidate or participant is veering off course. Accomplishments are heart-related when they seek to build up other people and accomplish goals through investment. Vision is best described in intangibles. If a candidate or participant refers to benefits seen in values as opposed to benefits seen in valuables, the question and answer are hitting home. - What do you want?
This is a question of mission. Missions are actions to fulfill a goal, and their accomplishment is seen in their effects, both materially and within a frame of mind. What a follower wants should be in direct correlation to the answers to the first two questions. The mission will include hard work and the satisfaction coming from completing a job well. Happiness should be evidenced in tangible rewards—the products of achievement—along with intangible inner repose— an assurance of attainment, a healthy sense of pride in the fulfillment of purpose. - Whom will you impact?
This is a question of message. Lessons learned are worth little until they become operative in real life. People long for and appreciate authenticity when actions verify words. People who are impacted for good because of a follower’s or leader’s life model can find themselves in a state of receptivity for learning what, how, and why something or someone worked. Principled truth that invades and transforms life makes people take notice, and for those who desire more than mediocrity, creates hungers for more of whatever “that” is and wherever “it” came from. Message is seen through measures and methods. Message is enfolded into desires, decisions, and deeds. The life-lessons learned and taught to those who observe and want to receive them, become the message.
When your day in History comes, what marks the occasion? Again, what do you celebrate that clearly demonstrates what you value?
At Creative Team Publishing, what we value is written and demonstrated by the authors we publish, the ethics and honesty we practice (without any contracts, by the way), and the true sense of knowing we are working with those who share our common values, vision, mission, and message; they trust us and we trust them.
Join us? Please submit your manuscripts to: glen.aubrey@ctrg.com. As has been stated often, “We want to see your creation.” If what you submit passes our review, perhaps you will be the next author we publish! Truly an exciting prospect! Let’s get it done.