I’m in the middle of the book Our Better Angels right now by Jonathan Reckford, who is the CEO of Habitat for Humanity; and, I can’t stop thinking about its potential impact on our community, state, and world. I first heard of Jonathan and his book on the Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast where he and Andy discussed 7 Virtues that Jonathan and Habitat for Humanity have adopted and embodied.
These Virtues are:
Kindness
Community
Empowerment
Joy
Respect
Generosity
Service
I had the opportunty to help build 3 Habitat homes in college with my fraternity brothers. I’m not sure when Habitat adopted these virtues. But, as I read this book and think back on those experiences of helping aspiring homeowners build their own homes, I get excited. As a County Commissioner in Irwin County, I get excited thinking about what we all can also accomplish and become if we choose to come together in kindness, care for each other in community, empower each other to become all that God intends for us, choose and live out joy even when it’s tough, respect each other fully, generously give, and serve with humility from the top down.
Check out the podcast and book. If you ever have the chance to serve with Habitat, DO IT! If you ever have the chance to go overseas and serve, TAKE IT! You’ll be glad you did.
I love the Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year holiday season. We express gratitude for all God has blessed us with, then we celebrate the birth of Jesus our Saviour, and then we have a week to reflect and plan the next year. Unfortunately, it’s easy to slip into this scenario…
Let me encourage you with a new plan for the New Year.
I consume almost everything that Michael Hyatt publishes. His wisdom, humor, and relatability are a breath of fresh air. Years ago, I discovered his Life Plan template and tried it out. I haven’t missed a New Year’s Eve or Day since where I don’t use his template to plan my next year. Check out the template here and take some time soon to make your own Life Plan.
I also love this time so that I can think through the upcoming year for my company. During the fall of 2020, I wrote about my company’s mission, vision, values, & brand commitment. Check it out here. Below is our updated purpose, mission, vision, and brand commitment as we head into 2022!
Mission: We make life better with the things we grow and for the people we get to know.
Purpose: MPC exists to…
honor God
serve others
pursue excellence, and
grow profitably.
Vision:
MPC will be THE first and last call when people think of muscadine products from juice to powder to extract to wine.
MPC will be THE source of genuine, healthy, and natural products for people hoping to live a genuine, healthy, and natural life.
MPC will be THE custom processor of choice for regionally grown and sourced ingredients.
Values: We are & strive to be…
Honest: Choosing to be truthful in whatever you say & do. Telling the truth even when it hurts because not telling truth undermines the relationship.
Humble: Putting others first by giving up what you think you deserve.
Hungry: (initiative): Seeing what needs to be done & doing it. Make it Better! Looking for good to do!
Smart (wisdom): Finding out what you need to do & doing it. Make it Better: there’s always a way to make things better.
Take it Personally: treat it like it’s yours because to the customer, it is personal.
Collaborate with Others: we’re better together.
Replace Ourselves: none of us will do what we’re doing here forever.
Remain Open Handed: it’s ultimately not ours to hold onto.
Trusting: Putting your confidence in someone you can depend on. Being someone others can depend on.
Generous: Making someone’s day by giving something away.
Kind: Showing others that are valuable by how you treat them.
Disciplined: Doing what you need to do now so you can be better later.
Persevering: Refusing to give up when life gets hard. Finish the job!
Resilient: Getting back up when knocked down because finishing the task at hand matters.
Curious: Seeking to understand the world & people around us because they are fascinating. Seeking to discover something new so you can be better at whatever you do.
Creative: Using your imagination to do something that makes someone’s day, makes a difference or solves a problem worth solving.
Responsible: Proving you can be trusted with what is expected of you. Taking care of what you have because it all belongs to God anyway.
Conscientious: Details matter…from the parking lot to the paperwork and from the bins to the bottles. It ALL matters.
Knowledge: Discovering something new so you can be better at whatever you do.
Resourceful: Leveraging what’s at hand to overcome.
Brand Commitment: We help you celebrate the best things in life.
So, there you have it. If you work here and wonder, “Why are we doing this task?”, what you are doing should fit within this context.
If you visit us or partner with us, my goal is that you consider yourself better for having interacted with us. And, you should see these values play out through your interaction with our team.
Bottom Line:
Carve out some time to reflect and plan. You’ll be glad you did….there’s lots to anticipate!
I have relaunched my blog. A year, or so, ago I started a blog called Southern Superfruit. This blog was originally launched to help tell stories about muscadines and my experiences leading a company that processes my family’s fruit. But, one thing led to another, and now I haven’t blogged in almost 9 months! So, I am relaunching my blog as my name. This name change will allow the blog to grow and develop as my life grows and develops. I am writing about organizational leadership, personal development, productivity, relationships, and muscadines. I have been reminded lately that life takes exciting twists and turns, and I want my blog to allow for these changes.
Thanks for joining me.
