Ok, let’s get back to a question we started to answer last month. How do you determine your personal value and share it? Previously, we explored how you might know what you can offer the rest of the world. We explored 4 questions you can answer to determine what you do have to offer. If you don’t think you have much to offer or you don’t know what those things are, go back and read last month’s article. This month, let’s explore a new question. How do you create value for others?
Let’s answer an even more fundamental question first. This is a question that gets to the heart of your vision for your life. Why would you want to create value for others? Well, the short answer is because you were made to do just that. If you’re not careful, our culture will fool you into thinking your goal ought to be creating maximum channels of inflow for yourself. Make more money, have better relationships that make you feel good, move up the corporate ladder, drive a better car, live in a bigger house . . . you know the drill. Nothing wrong with any of those goals or desires, provided they’re not all you have going on in your life. In this scenario, everything is flowing one way – toward you. You might think you want that, but you don’t.
Think of the air conditioning system in your home. You turn it on and it blows out cold air and your house cools down, right? Not exactly. If all it did was just blow cold air, it would be very ineffective. While I’m sure you’ve noticed the vents in the ceiling or floor that blow the cold air, take a closer look at the complete system. You’ll find some larger vents in the ceiling or walls that don’t blow any air out at all. These vents are called return air vents. They take the stuffy, warm air and pull it out of your rooms and into the air conditioning system to cool it down. So, your cold air vents blowing cold air toward you work in tandem with your return air vents that pull the warm air away from you. It’s an outflow and inflow system that only works – only creates satisfactory results – when the inflow and outflow are working together.
Your life is the same way. Sure, you’re working hard to attain your goals and provide for yourself and your family. Those are inflows. But, you’ve been given gifts and talents that are specifically for the benefit of other people (see last month’s article). Using those are the outflow. The health and fulfillment in your life comes when the inflow and outflow are working in tandem.
If you need an even more life and death example, think of your own physical body. The normal and healthy state of things is that you inhale air and you exhale air in a one-to-one ratio. Take a deep breath. Now take another deep breath. Don’t exhale. Now take another deep breath. You see what happens. Continuing the inhale begins to choke your lungs. It can’t be sustained. Although it happens more slowly, and is harder to perceive, the same effect happens in you (emotionally, relationally, and spiritually) when you have all inflow and no outflow.
If you’re not yet at the stage of writing down a plan of action, that’s okay. But, I hope this helps you begin to think about building your vision for your life. A vision for you to create avenues so you can share your unique abilities, gifts, and talents with those in your current circles and even beyond. Next month, we’ll get more specific about how you can build a strategy and a plan to create that value in others.
You may not want to wait until next month to build your strategy and plan of action . If you’re ready to get started now, one of our coaches will help you begin building your plan by utilizing several highly effective coaching tools we have at our disposal. Just click here to get started on your journey to living out your dreams. When you’re ready, we’ll be ready to help you get there.
