In times of economic uncertainty, it might seem counterintuitive to think about prosperity. Recessions often trigger media frenzy, amplifying negativity and instilling financial paranoia in the public consciousness. This constant barrage of pessimism can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy of financial hardship if you succumb to the social hysteria.
However, if you can detach from the noise and maintain a rational perspective, economic downturns can reveal remarkable opportunities for those looking to get ahead in their careers or launch and expand businesses. Recessions, paradoxically, can be fertile ground for making money.
During these periods, people naturally become more discerning with their spending. Non-essential purchases are postponed as individuals prioritize genuine value. This shift in consumer behavior creates an environment where businesses offering real, tangible value can thrive, often outperforming those dealing in superficial or unnecessary goods and services. The “fluff” businesses, as they are sometimes called, built on fleeting trends or perceived needs, tend to falter, while value-driven enterprises become increasingly attractive.
In economies like the USA, where many businesses operate on a “moocher mindset”—extracting value without providing fair exchange—recessions act as a natural correction. The collapse of numerous financial institutions and the struggles of the American auto industry serve as stark reminders of this principle. These sectors, in part, suffered due to a disconnect from providing essential value to consumers. Many individuals are also facing the harsh reality that traditional job security is no longer a guarantee, with mass layoffs becoming increasingly common.
The Pitfalls of a Money-Obsessed Mentality
In challenging economic times, a common reaction is to frantically chase quick money-making schemes. It’s easy to fall prey to programs promising instant riches, get entangled in multi-level marketing schemes, or become victims of outright scams. These approaches share a common thread: an intense focus on making money as the primary objective. This singular focus often leads individuals down paths that lack genuine value creation and are ultimately unsustainable.
The underlying problem with these schemes is their reliance on extracting wealth without providing commensurate value. Long-term success in such ventures necessitates exploiting others, a morally dubious and ultimately self-defeating strategy for most. For the majority, a moral compass prevents them from fully committing to such exploitative practices, leading to self-sabotage and limited success. This path is not one of abundance but of scarcity, built on shaky foundations.
Ironically, those who become fixated on making money as their sole aim often find themselves in a worse financial position. The stress and desperation of this approach can lead to poor decisions and missed opportunities. In extreme cases, it can even lead to financial ruin, with individuals losing their homes and savings in the pursuit of elusive riches.
The few exceptions are those who manage to suppress their conscience entirely, becoming comfortable with exploiting others for personal gain. However, this is a rare and ethically questionable path. Most people, faced with the choice between scarcity and exploiting others, will choose the former, merely scraping by rather than compromising their values.
The Smart Money Approach: Value First
There exists a far more effective and ethical strategy for achieving financial success: shifting your focus from chasing money to creating and delivering real value. Concentrate your time and energy on providing people with what they genuinely desire or need.
Notice the emphasis on both CREATE and DELIVER.
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Creating Value: This involves leveraging your unique talents and skills in a way that benefits others. It’s about innovation, problem-solving, and bringing something new and useful into the world.
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Delivering Value: This means ensuring that the value you create actually reaches people and positively impacts their lives. It’s about distribution, communication, and making your value accessible to those who can benefit from it.
Both creation and delivery are essential for sustainable income generation, particularly during a recession. Let’s explore why.
If you excel at creating value but fail to deliver it effectively, your potential impact remains unrealized. If no one receives the value you create, how can you expect to receive value in return, such as financial compensation? This is a common struggle for many creative individuals – artists, musicians, writers, and inventors. They may dedicate countless hours to honing their craft, but without effective delivery, their creations remain unseen and unappreciated, leading to financial hardship and stifled creativity. The current economic climate has unfortunately exacerbated this situation for many.
The tragedy is that many of these individuals are incredibly hardworking and talented. However, they often overemphasize the creation aspect at the expense of delivery. They may observe less talented individuals, “hacks” as they might perceive them, achieving greater success simply because they are more effective at getting their work into the hands of the public. While the “hacks” might not possess the same level of creative depth, their ability to deliver value resonates with people and earns them recognition and reward.
The author shares a personal experience of bankruptcy in the late 1990s, despite working long hours on a promising computer game. The failure stemmed from inadequate delivery. Relying solely on publishers to distribute the game proved to be a critical misstep, and the game was never released, resulting in wasted effort and significant financial loss. This experience underscores the critical importance of both creation and delivery.
Conversely, focusing solely on delivering value without creating any of your own is also a limited long-term strategy. While it can provide short-term income, it’s not a sustainable path to long-term abundance. Delivering someone else’s value is not unique or particularly valuable in itself. Anyone can become an affiliate marketer, reseller, or join an MLM program. If this is your primary income source, your long-term prospects are weak. The more successful you become at delivering other people’s value, the more competition you will attract. Eventually, everyone in the market will be working harder for smaller and smaller shares of the pie. This strategy is especially vulnerable during recessions as consumers seek cheaper alternatives, further squeezing profit margins.
Bloggers who simply rehash existing content without offering unique insights or perspectives fall into this trap. Their niche becomes saturated with competitors doing the same, and sustainable income becomes elusive for most.
The most robust and enduring strategy is to both create AND deliver value. While you can incorporate other income-generating tactics, this should be your core approach. Mastering both creation and delivery empowers you to chart your own course and achieve lasting financial abundance.
Choosing a Mindset of Value
Many are facing significant financial challenges, and the patterns leading to these difficulties are becoming increasingly clear. Those who consistently create and deliver value are generally faring well, often experiencing income growth even during economic downturns. Conversely, those who neglect value creation and delivery are seeing their financial situations deteriorate. This can trigger panic and lead to misguided attempts to quickly “make money,” further distancing them from value-creating activities and accelerating their financial decline.
It’s a common, yet flawed, assumption that when finances decline, the immediate solution is to single-mindedly focus on making money as quickly as possible. This is a trap many fall into, and it’s fundamentally the wrong approach. The correct strategy is counterintuitive: when you want to increase your income, you must prioritize creating and delivering more value. This is the direct path to sustainable financial improvement.
Money, at its core, is simply a medium for exchanging value. It’s the reward you receive in return for the value you create and deliver. By increasing your output of value creation and delivery, you naturally increase your inflow of money. Trying to increase income without increasing value is attempting to get something for nothing – an unsustainable and ultimately futile endeavor.
The author recounts a pivotal moment around the time of his bankruptcy. Despite being broke, he shifted his focus from desperately seeking money to creating and delivering value. Within six months, he regained financial stability, and his financial situation continued to improve year after year. This transformation began about nine years prior to writing the article, and he has maintained positive cash flow ever since.
Even if you are in a difficult financial situation, the time it takes to cultivate the habit of creating and delivering value is irrelevant. Time will pass regardless, and this skill set will serve you throughout your life. Patience and consistent effort are key. Regardless of economic fluctuations, creating and delivering value will always be a path to success.
A Year of Record Growth
2008 was the most financially successful year for the author and his partner, Erin, and they anticipated 2009 to be even better, irrespective of the economic climate. Their confidence stemmed from their continued commitment to creating and delivering value.
Their success during a recession is attributed to several factors. Firstly, they are not constrained by traditional jobs. Having been self-employed for over 16 years, they control their own means of value creation and delivery. This provides greater career stability than being dependent on an employer, as they cannot be fired or laid off.
Secondly, while others are cutting back, they focus on expanding their value creation and delivery. This might seem counterintuitive, but it’s a key element of their strategy. For example, the author wrote extensively about diet and health, sharing his experiences with a raw food diet. While not a universally popular topic, these articles provided significant value to those interested in health and wellness, leading to positive lifestyle changes and health improvements for many readers.
Many bloggers prioritize content that generates immediate gains like links, attention, or sales. While the author acknowledges engaging in such practices occasionally, his primary focus remains on creating and delivering genuine value. He understands that by prioritizing value, other benefits will naturally follow.
This article itself is presented as an example. It wasn’t written with the expectation of virality or direct financial gain. Its purpose is simply to provide valuable insights and encouragement to readers who may need it. The author believes that even if it only helps a few people, it’s a worthwhile endeavor. This value-centric approach inspires him to share his learnings openly and honestly, even if they challenge conventional thinking.
While seemingly simplistic, this focus on value creation and delivery is the fundamental key to generating sustainable income and abundance.
Turning Value into Income: The Practical Steps
The question then becomes: how do you translate value creation and delivery into tangible income? Is it possible to create and deliver significant value without financial reward?
The reality is that making money is the easy part once you have mastered value creation and delivery. Income opportunities will naturally gravitate towards you. People will actively seek ways to compensate you for the value you provide.
Here’s how it works in practice:
If you excel at creating value, you can collaborate with individuals who are skilled at delivering value. They can distribute, market, and sell your creations, and in return, you receive royalties, commissions, or licensing fees. For example, a book deal with a publisher is a classic example. The author creates the value (the book), and the publisher handles the delivery, paying an advance and ongoing royalties. This initial value creation can also unlock further income streams, such as paid speaking engagements. The value created can generate income for years to come.
Conversely, if your strength lies in delivering value, you can generate income by integrating other people’s value into your delivery system. The author’s blog serves as an efficient platform for delivering value. While the blog content itself is free, it generates income indirectly by promoting products the author believes in. By partnering with product creators and promoting their offerings, the author earns a share of the sales. This approach generates a substantial six-figure annual income with relatively little effort, as product creators actively seek partnerships due to the blog’s effective delivery system.
The most powerful and lucrative position is to create AND deliver strong value. This opens up a multitude of opportunities.
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Leverage other delivery systems: Plug your created value into existing delivery systems and earn residual income through royalties and similar arrangements. This creates passive income streams that continue for years.
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Utilize your delivery system for others’ value: Integrate valuable products or services created by others into your delivery system. Earn commissions or affiliate fees by promoting these offerings. By being selective and promoting only high-value products, you create a win-win situation for everyone involved. This also generates ongoing residual income.
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Directly deliver your own value: Create and sell your own products directly to your audience. This could include e-books, online courses, physical products, or services. Many online creators have achieved significant success with this model.
A significant portion of the author’s 2008 income was derived from work done in previous years, highlighting the power of residual income. He could, in theory, take a year off and still live comfortably on existing income streams. This financial freedom is not accidental; it’s the result of a deliberate strategy focused on creating and delivering value over the long term. This strategy is accessible to anyone.
Avoiding Distractions: The Key to Sustained Success
Once you establish a habit of creating and delivering value, sustained success becomes highly probable. However, the biggest obstacle to long-term success is distraction. It’s crucial to avoid being sidetracked by fleeting opportunities that deviate from your core focus.
Resist the temptation to chase every “get-rich-quick” scheme that comes your way. Equally detrimental is getting trapped in a traditional job where you trade time for money. These are dead ends that should be avoided at all costs. Maintain laser focus on creating and delivering value, and view anything that detracts from this focus as a hindrance, a cost, or even a negative influence.
This unwavering focus is paramount, yet often overlooked. For those seeking long-term financial abundance, pursuing a traditional job is a significantly detrimental path. The odds of achieving true wealth through employment are incredibly low.
In fact, the author argues that being broke and homeless, while challenging, is preferable to being employed if your goal is financial abundance. Homelessness, in this extreme example, allows for uninterrupted focus on value creation and delivery, while a job becomes a constant distraction. Even in a state of homelessness, one can still begin to create and deliver value, laying the foundation for future success.
A job, in this perspective, is a major distraction, even likened to a modern form of slavery, hindering true financial freedom. Homelessness, paradoxically, can be seen as an upgrade from traditional employment, offering a different kind of freedom, albeit with its own hardships.
The solution to employment, if it’s hindering your goals, is straightforward: stop showing up. This drastic action can be a catalyst for finding motivation and drive to start creating and delivering value, particularly when faced with basic needs like hunger.
Genuine opportunities are always rooted in value creation and delivery. Any proposition that promises wealth without requiring either of these should be immediately recognized as a waste of time, not an opportunity.
Is creating and delivering value harder than getting a job? The author argues no. A job still requires providing value, but the majority of the rewards accrue to someone else. You are already doing the essential work of value creation, but not reaping the full benefits. In the long run, employment often requires more effort for less personal reward.
Choosing to create and deliver value for yourself is a no-brainer. Imagine getting paid per word as a writer for an employer versus writing for your own platform where you retain ownership and all the residual benefits – republication rights, traffic generation, licensing opportunities, and more. The latter clearly offers greater long-term potential and control.
Trying to “make money” directly is itself a distraction. It leads to a scattered approach, chasing fleeting trends and perceived opportunities. Focusing on value creation and delivery provides a simpler, more aligned path to success, rooted in principles of truth, integrity, and empowerment.
Value-centric work allows for authenticity and honesty. You spend time engaged in activities you genuinely enjoy and are passionate about – writing, creating music, gardening, or any other craft. This is inherently more fulfilling than monotonous, uncreative labor. Sharing your value and witnessing its positive impact on others is also deeply empowering and rewarding.
Once you adopt the habit of prioritizing value creation and delivery as your primary career focus, you are unlikely to ever want to return to a money-focused, value-deficient approach.
Life Beyond Money: A Value-Driven Existence
In the author’s life and work, making money is a secondary concern. Despite writing extensively about finance, he spends little time actively thinking about it. Financial goals are no longer a priority, as they seem pointless. Often, months pass without him even checking his income, knowing there is always abundance and that earnings consistently exceed spending. This comfortable financial position is a direct result of his unwavering focus on value creation and delivery. He trusts that as long as he continues to provide value, opportunities and income will naturally arise.
He recalls attending a conference where Dr. Wayne Dyer spoke about being told he had made “a LOT of money.” Dr. Dyer’s response was a humorous acknowledgment, followed by the sentiment that it wasn’t his intention, but rather a byproduct of simply doing what he does best, and abundance naturally followed. At the time, this mindset seemed unattainable and unrealistic. However, the author now understands and embodies this perspective.
He believes that Dr. Dyer’s primary focus is not on money but on the content he creates and shares. Having authored numerous books, Dr. Dyer has internalized the principle of value creation and delivery, and his financial success is a natural consequence. The author and his partner had the opportunity to meet Dr. Dyer and found him to be warm and genuine.
This “abundance mindset” might sound frustrating to those currently experiencing financial scarcity. The author acknowledges this, having been in that position himself. He understands the annoyance of hearing about effortless abundance when struggling to make ends meet. Back then, he would have vehemently argued that making money was far from easy, having tried and failed repeatedly. Ironically, the very focus on “making money” was the root of the problem.
The key lies in shifting your focus. Obsessing over money virtually guarantees a difficult and disappointing journey. If money is your primary pursuit, you are likely to give away your power and live a shallow existence. Another misguided approach is focusing solely on “attracting financial abundance” through the Law of Attraction. While once believing in this concept, the author now sees it as a dead end, leading to circular thinking and no tangible results. The irony is that true financial abundance is achieved by thinking about money as little as possible.
Focusing on money is a mistake. It may take years to learn this lesson the hard way, as it did for the author. However, understanding and internalizing the principle of creating and delivering value is a far smarter and saner path to long-term financial abundance. The journey may start slowly, but mastering both creation and delivery is transformative, leading to a fulfilling life characterized by freedom, joy, and financial security – where money becomes almost irrelevant in your daily focus.
Having financial abundance allows you to largely ignore money and focus on more meaningful, interesting, and enjoyable pursuits. This very shift in focus is what creates financial abundance in the first place, completing a virtuous cycle. You realize that money was never the goal; it was the courage to pursue your dreams wholeheartedly, even when broke, and to stop using lack of money as an excuse to not live your best life.
If the author could learn and apply this lesson while bankrupt and with minimal resources, anyone can apply it today. Value creation and delivery are possible even with limited resources. The initial value might be modest, but the key is to focus on creating something people appreciate, delivering it effectively, and ensuring they receive and enjoy that value. For the author, it started with a simple computer game and evolved into blogging, but the underlying strategy remains consistent.
Delivery doesn’t need to be complex. Simply creating something and sharing it online allows others to spread it if they find it valuable. If your value creation efforts are consistently failing to generate interest, it’s a signal to re-evaluate the creative aspect. The lack of engagement is feedback that your creations are not resonating. Use this feedback to refine your approach, delve deeper into your authentic self-expression, and become a more compelling creator. Continue honing your craft until people begin to take notice. That’s when you’ve found your golden path.
The Economy as a Catalyst for Value
The author views economic recessions, including the current one, as beneficial. Recessions act as a natural selection process, weeding out businesses that fail to create and deliver value that people genuinely want. Many companies may have been successful in the past but failed to adapt to evolving needs and values. Recessions force these outdated businesses to make way for new, more relevant enterprises that better understand and serve current consumer demands. Companies that “don’t get it” are replaced by those that do.
The concept of bailing out failing industries, like the U.S. auto industry, is seen as misguided and ultimately detrimental. Propping up market losers with taxpayer money is short-sighted and hinders necessary market correction. While there may be short-term ripples, these corrections are essential for long-term economic health. It sends a crucial message: failure to create and deliver value will lead to business failure, and political lobbying cannot ultimately save you. However, when society prioritizes the pursuit of money above all else, as often reflected in political decisions, this message gets lost.
It is more compassionate, in the long run, for workers in failing industries to transition to sectors where they can contribute meaningfully and create value that is actually needed. Retraining and adapting to new opportunities is preferable to prolonging unsustainable practices. Becoming obsolete is avoidable if individuals and companies continuously strive to create and deliver relevant value. Even as an employee, ensuring your work contributes to genuine value creation is crucial for long-term job security and fulfillment.
A Value-Centered Career: Finding Your Impact
How do you assess if you are creating and delivering real value? Ask yourself: if you stopped doing what you do, who would genuinely care? Who would strongly object? Who would feel a significant loss?
If you are creating and delivering genuine value, your absence will be noticed and felt. People will care. Your contribution will be missed. There might even be metaphorical “rioting in the streets” – a strong indication of your impact. Even if your contributions are somewhat anonymous, the removal of your value will create a tangible void in people’s lives.
However, if your absence goes largely unnoticed, it’s a signal that your creative output is not truly valued. What you are doing may be unnecessary or easily replaceable. It might indicate that you are not yet fully expressing your potential or contributing as meaningfully as you could.
This is a choice. You may have been conditioned to believe that life revolves around getting a job and making money. Living that way for a while might seem logical, but you will likely discover its emptiness and lack of fulfillment. When you hear that inner voice telling you “this is wrong,” recognize that a life of fun, freedom, and fulfillment is possible, along with financial abundance. To achieve it, shift your focus to what truly matters – creating and delivering value. Break free from societal conditioning and the conventional path.
Embrace conscious living, not mindless conformity. Express your innate creativity daily. Stop fixating on money and instead focus on connecting with people and sharing your creations. Create and deliver. Create and deliver.
The core principle of financial abundance is remarkably simple, learned in early childhood. A child proudly presents a drawing, “Hey, look at this picture I made!” (value created). The adult responds, “Wow, that’s awesome! You made my day!” (value received). This simple exchange embodies the essence of value creation and its positive impact.
The author’s children instinctively understand this principle. Their natural inclination to create and share will likely lead to financial abundance as adults, provided they resist societal brainwashing that prioritizes money over value. The author’s role as a parent is to nurture this inherent understanding and protect them from limiting beliefs.
This 6,000-word article, written in a single five-hour sitting, exemplifies this value-driven approach. Inspired by an idea, the author invested time and energy in creation, knowing that the article will deliver value to readers for years to come. This is a worthwhile investment, regardless of immediate financial return.
The article’s success, or lack thereof, in generating income is secondary. The author trusts that consistent value creation and delivery will ensure continued financial abundance and personal fulfillment. Money becomes a background element, not the driving force.
The aspiration is for readers to experience similar benefits – a life where financial abundance is a natural byproduct of pursuing meaningful value creation. It starts with a conscious choice to shift focus. The more you embrace creative self-expression, the less you need to worry about money.
The irony is that many postpone pursuing their passions until they have “enough money,” but this thinking is a trap. Start living as if you already have financial abundance, by pursuing your passions and creating value now. This is the very strategy that will attract the abundance you seek. And when abundance arrives, you may realize that it was never the ultimate goal. The real reward is the courage to express your authentic self and live your best life, starting now, regardless of your current financial situation.
Even from a state of bankruptcy with minimal resources, the author learned to create and deliver value. It wasn’t groundbreaking value initially, but it was a start. Focusing on creating something enjoyable and sharing it with others was the key. Whether it’s a computer game then or blog content now, the strategy remains the same.
Delivery can be simple – sharing online is often enough. If value creation efforts consistently fail to gain traction, it’s time to refine the creative process, seek feedback, and strive for deeper authenticity and resonance. Keep creating, keep delivering, and let the world guide you towards your most impactful contributions.
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