Congratulations to my valued clients Steven J. Bowen and Terry Lyles, Ph.D., on the publication of their new book, Becoming Invaluable: Develop the Willitude to Navigotiate Success.
What does it mean to be invaluable? The authors suggest that it’s entirely up to you to decide how, and in what way, you can be invaluable to your fellow human beings. It might mean becoming the CEO of a big corporation; it might mean becoming a doctor and helping people live longer and healthier lives; or it might mean becoming a singer like Taylor Swift and entertaining millions of people.
But it also might mean making just one person’s life better – a child, a patient, a neighbor.
In all of these choices the common element is that you are serving other people and helping make their lives better, whether it’s millions of people, a handful in your family, or just one person.
You will also notice that Steven and Terry enjoy using and making up new words. For example, “willitude” is a combination of “willpower” and “fortitude.” “Navigotiate” is a combination of “navigate” and “negotiate.”
Find Your Value
Becoming Invaluable begins with your first task, which is to find your value. Nobody can do this for you; you have to do it for yourself. And when you find your value, you should pursue it. To become invaluable, you need to develop your five personal attributes. They are knowledge, skills, attitude, health, and strength. You need a vision for your life and the mission. You should also embrace the concept of servant leadership.
The authors discuss the importance of your daily health and strength, and how to watch out for the warning signs of low self-worth, which is just as bad as having an inflated ego.
The book is liberally peppered with profiles of successful people who were interviewed by Steven and Terry expressly for this project. For example, one of them is Jason Johnson, the co-founder and CEO of Exclusive Charter Service, also known as ECS Jets, which provides 24/7 global aircraft charters. He made himself and his company invaluable to his demanding clients by paying attention to the smallest details. For example, he went to Bed, Bath & Beyond and bought inexpensive cotton towels with initials are already embroidered on them. Before every flight, he would place in the bathroom of the aircraft the towel with the correct initial of the client. It’s a small gesture that his clients truly appreciated. And of course, Jason also made sure to take care of the fundamentals, which is to transport his clients safely and comfortably to their destinations!
Published by MindStir Media, Becoming Invaluable is available on Amazon and at Mindstirmedia.com.
