What’s it worth?

Often it is more important to declare value than it is to add value.

Adding value is a passion of mine.

I do not want to be involved in something and not add value in someway.

I do not want people to come into my life and not be better for it.

I bet you feel the same way.

However, there is something even more important than you and I adding value, and that is declaring value.

This can’t be done willy nilly for then your assessment will be worthless.

But in those spheres where your opinion matters…oh what a force for good you have at your disposal.

Let me give you an example: Edward Steichen (1879-1973).

Steichen is credited with transforming photography into an art form, but it almost didn’t happen. According to David Jeremiah in his book “Turning Points: Moments of Decision in the Presence of God”, when Steichen was a boy he was fascinated by the amazing new technology of cameras and photography. So he scraped together enough money to finally buy himself a camera. He had film for fifty pictures. Excitedly he went out on his first (and almost last) photography foray. Later when the fifty pictures came back they were a blurry disaster…except for one. Forty-nine failures was enough for Steichen to determine that he was a failure as a photographer and he was ready to quit.

But his mother…

Perhaps the most important person in his life at that time, his mother, took a look at the pictures and agreed that forty-nine of his attempts were not good, but she declared that the one photo was so good that it more than compenstated for the forty-nine blotched attempts.

She declared value.

And that declaration changed how photography would be viewed to this day.

What about you mom? Dad? Spouse? Nana or Papa? Boss? Co-worker? Pastor? Neighbor? Friend?

You may not matter to everyone, but you matter to someone. In their world your opinion carries weight. Why not leverage that to declare value?

Call out greatness. Acknowledge their contribution. Acknowledge them! Sometime that is all it takes to get someone going. Blow gently and intentionally on the embers of their dreams until the flames drive away the darkness of defeat.

Declare…loudly, clearly, consistently, lovingly, faithfully…value.

You can do this…if you will.

The ONE THING for today: Often it is more important to declare value than it is to add value.