This post was guest blogged by Alex Shalman, who put together the Happiness Project with 34 A-list bloggers, and writes about practical personal development, communication, and relationships.
If you consider the root of making money online (and I’m not talking about the ‘evil’ John Chow) you will realize one fundamental principle. In our society money is merely a vehicle with which we transfer value from one entity to another.
Instead of racking our brains with the question of “how can I make more money online”, we can choose to think “Who do I have to be, and what do I have to do, in order to bring the maximum value to the maximum amount of people?” That’s right, I’m asking you to take money out of the equation, and I’ll tell you why.
‘What if’ Money Was Not An Issue
The amazing thing about bringing value to society is that it gives you a higher level of pleasure and fulfillment than the physical world can provide for you. You will always feel better if you can donate a hot meal to a needy family than if you use that money to upgrade your watch from $3000 to $4000.
Let’s take John as an example for a moment. We all know that John makes a hell of a lot of money online, right? We also know about some of the things he spends his money on, since John is not shy about sharing that with us. John spends money on expensive toys, and $30,000 hamburgers, but we also see that he donates to feed the hungry, and most importantly takes care of his family by building up his baby girl’s trust fund.
Do you think John would care if he never ate another $400 cheese cake if he knew his family was going to be happy, healthy and well taken care of? I don’t think it would bother him too much at all. The point is that when you stop focusing too much on the money itself, and on the physical pleasures that it can bring you, you begin to resonate at a higher level.
The Genesis of a New Realm of Possibilities
By thinking from this place of value creation, instead of money acquisition, we become more in tune with contributing to society. Our society has a great way of giving back to those that contribute, and with today’s viral nature of the internet a really good idea, product, or service can travel far and wide.
So here’s some food for thought. Who would you be, what would you do, if you to had the goal of leaving this world a better place than you entered it? Remember, it only takes One Decision To Change Your Life, and this one could be it for you.
“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.” ~Maya Angelou