We don’t get paid for the hours that we work, but rather for the value we bring to the marketplace.
In 2010, The Chrystal Cathedral filed for bankruptcy protection. The church’s board of directors sited a substantial drop in revenue over the past few years and an inability to cut costs quickly enough.
Differences within the family following founder Robert H. Schuller’s retirement in 2006 have also been reported.
One of the best things I ever heard Dr. Schuller say was, “You never suffer from a money problem; you always suffer from an idea problem.”
He asserted that you can always overcome an apparent shortage of money by generating ideas that will bring in money.
He ought to know. Schuller started his ministry in a drive-in theater in the sixties and later raised over 18 million dollars to build The Crystal Cathedral—the largest glass building in the world. That was no small fete in 1980. In today’s dollars that would be more like 45 million.
Time will tell whether the leaders of this megachurch will follow their founder’s advice and recognize they suffer from an idea problem rather than a money problem.
But most people are too focused on the money they want or need instead of the ideas required to earn and generate the money.
We can always earn more money because we can always create more ideas. Money might seem in short supply from time to time, but ideas are limitless.
You earn money by the value you create. Even though you might be paid an hourly wage, you’re not paid for the hours you work, you’re paid for the value you create in those hours.
So it’s really a pretty simple process.
Want more money? Generate more ideas that create more value. Want to earn a LOT of money? Generate ideas that create a LOT more value. This can be done by increasing the real and perceived value to a person or a company—or increasing the number of people or organizations served.
What does your customer, your employer or the public want? What problems can you solve? What costs can you cut? How can you accelerate the production or delivery of your product or service? How can you leverage what you or others do to create more value?
By doing so, you will earn more money. There’s almost no way not to.
And you can create real and lasting financial independence because you’ll know that you will always be able to generate the income you need and want—by creating ideas that, in turn, create value.
Best Life Truth: You Get Paid for Bringing Value to the Marketplace.
Recommended Resource
How to Discover Your Core Values Course
When You Know Your Core Values, Every Decision You Make is Easier
Take this home-study course at your own pace and discover the values that will determine your success. You can have more purpose, passion and meaning in your life. The course may only take you a few hours to complete yet the rewards that come from it will last a lifetime.
