GPS
Recently I was listening to someone who used the metaphor of a GPS to describe a product he was selling. A GPS in your car or phone can help you navigate even better than a map, but there are a few things the GPS needs to function correctly and get you where you want to go.
He said that there are three basic components of the navigation system; first, you have to know where you are. The second is that you need to know where you are going. Without those two locations, the GPS can’t function at all. The third component was not what I expected. Now to be fair, there are many more than 3 things that would make a GPS work, so I am sure that he picked the ones that illustrated his point the best, but I was thinking of another one. He said that the third component was a way to communicate the directions of where to go and when to turn, which makes a lot of sense.
The third thing I thought he would mention was a reference point that doesn’t move. A good GPS will not have directions like, “Turn right after the blue semi.” or “Turn right after the large oak tree.” or “Turn right after the concrete bridge.” Semis move, trees die, and bridges get replaced. A GPS will need to orient itself, usually by aligning itself with the magnetic north pole or aligning itself with satellites that align themselves with the magnetic north pole.
Life can provide a lot of temporary reference points like money, positions, or relationships. Just like a company that creates a mission statement for their organization, individuals have been known to create mission statements for their own lives that embody enduring values to guide their direction and changes. People like me have faith in God as that magnetic north pole, the belief, not that I have God, but that God has me. In a recent public training that I led, a participant asked which school district I taught in, and I replied that I taught in a Christian school. He asked if my faith influenced my work as a coach, consultant, or trainer. Without hesitation, I said, “Absolutely - at least I hope it would! It doesn’t mean that I’m going to try to make people believe what I believe in these classes, but I absolutely would want the best parts of what I believe and value to influence the way I interact with people.” He liked that answer.
It is important to know where you are, where you are going, and the best directions to get from here to there. I believe it is also important to have a solid reference point to keep those directions on track. If you want to know more about this by having a thinking partner to talk about what having a solid reference point looks like in your life, please Contact Us.
