My oh my, how I value good health! It has been too long – much too long – since I have provided anything new here at The Intersection of Purpose and Now. I apologize. There are a variety of reasons; perhaps the main reason is that in the past few months I transitioned from my busiest months of the year to a month of suffering from one misery-causing virus to another. Who knows if I had H1N1, R2D2 or anything similar; I know I had a severe case of a flu that is obviously “going around” and it went through my entire family.

My body was a special case, though. Unlike anyone else I know, over the course of two weeks my flu progressed into an ear infection, into bronchitis, into a constant violent, unproductive cough, into what I thought was a cracked rib caused by coughing so hard. After treating myself like I had a cracked rib for at least one more week, the pain became so severe and persistent that I went back to the doctor. My x-rays showed no signs of either damaged ribs or pneumonia, the other most likely cause. So why all the pain? “Probably a virus” was the so-called diagnosis (and for this my doctor charges how much an hour?). Nonetheless, here it is November, another week has gone by but I am finally on the mend. It is past time to write.

How I value restoration!
About 10 days ago, just when my chest pain was increasing, I gave a keynote address at a national conference on the topic of “Are You and Your Business Authentic?” I included a powerful activity that helps people explore their values and how common values shape their daily lives. The activity uses a list of values I have shared in this blog in the past (Practice a Value a Day), with each value printed on a separate note card so that every person present received a random value at their seat.

I asked participants to find a partner and spontaneously share with that partner how the particular value they received is (or is not) currently playing out in their daily lives or work. The result? Well, lets just say that it even brought a few people to tears.

My keynote received an overwhelming positive response and numerous people have spoken with me about how powerful the values exercise was for them. Even though each person receives a value at random, most people are amazed at how powerful the effect that particular value was having in their life. As one person put it, “I think this value picked me!”

Flash forward to this morning… For the first time in more than a month I felt able and available to attend my weekly 6 a.m. men’s prayer meeting at my local church. As I drearily started my car and pulled away from home to drive to the meeting, it came to mind I needed to start my day with a private time of prayer. Almost immediately, before I could even mention God’s name, the word “restoration” came to my mind. That’s all I could think of, “restoration”. I couldn’t pray or think another thought for several minutes. Then I thought, “hmmm, I guess this is God’s answer to anything I MIGHT have prayed!”

I truly need restoration after the trials of the past month. This has inspired me (my oh my, how I value inspiration!). Would you be interested in an easy way to explore and develop the values that are guiding you in your daily life and work? If that is you, don’t just read the next paragraph – do what it says. This will only take a few minutes.

How is the value of RESTORATION playing itself out in your life or work these days?

Think about the value question, journal your thoughts or share them with a partner.

How does the experience of giving serious consideration to this value and its effect in your life matter to you? How might it make a difference for you? How is it helpful, informative, encouraging, catalytic, therapeutic, energizing, transformational…?

If you find this activity helpful or in any way enlightening, consider this: What are other common values and how are they “playing out” for you these days? You may want to repeat the activity with other common values. (Why wouldn’t you?) Here is how:

Feel free to join me on Twitter in the coming days when I will share a Value a Day (or at least every couple of days) along with the question: “How is this value playing out in your life and/or work these days?” You will be amazed at your discoveries and revelations, as well as how value-driven you may really be.

Or at least you may realize how common values are shaping who you are and who you hope to be at The Intersection of Purpose and Now. I look forward to sharing with you on your journey to live a more value-driven life.