Columbine – A Life Changing Day
April 20, 1999 is forever etched in my psyche.
It’s amazing the power a single word can have to
bring back a tidal wave of feelings from a day of
tragic horror:
Columbine!
That day, everything in my world shifted.
I could not stop thinking about how it could happen.
Axiology was no longer a small game in a big ball park.
Axiology WAS the game.
It became BIG League work for me.
I started a journey that day that has taken many turns.
I got committed to sharing the distinctions of Axiology
with as many people as possible.
I got committed to working with and sharing the three
dimensions of value with parents, educators, and kids. I
invited everyone to experience insights and breakthroughs
the value profile makes available.
I invited conversations with industry leaders about
how they can release the untapped talent of their
“human assets” by creating a culture that values people.
Adam, his mom Anita and I were featured in the first
anniversary article on Columbine distributed nationwide
by the Newhouse News Service (third link down here)
I become “immersed” in Axiology and values work.
I asked Wayne Carpenter to create a teen profile.
We had tele-seminars and brainstorming sessions
with dozens of people who wanted to bring the
value profile to the educational system.
Then on 9/11, everything changed again.
Other values issues emerged, and the mission to
bring profiles to parents and teens went on hold.
But the vision remained alive.
I have never been much of a goal setter.
One of my few goals is to leave the world a little
better off than I found it. That work is intimately
connected to this work. I can no longer tell where
one ends and the other begins. They have merged.
I have put more energy into this work for less return
than any other work I have ever done. I can only
explain it this way –
I do it for the love of the game.
I love the value game.
It’s a rich and rewarding game to play.
It inspires people; it’s a game others want more of.
Axiology is a philiosophy whose time has come.
Few things are more important than discussing values.
I am thrilled to play this game with you.
I am excited about what we can do together.
I look forward to meeting you on the field.
Mitch
