POst 1.1
Your success in life is directly linked to your ability to add value to others.
Today it’s fashionable to talk about the New Economy, or the Information Economy, or the Knowledge Economy. But when I think about the imperatives of this market, I view today’s economy as the Value Economy. Adding value has become more than just a sound business principle; it is both the common denominator and the competitive edge.
Arthur Levitt, Jr
There are two ways you can add value.
First, you can help someone achieve a meaningful goal. Let’s say that your friend wants to adopt a golden retriever. There are none listed for adoption in the area. But you have a veterinarian friend. So you introduce them and your veterinarian friend offers some good ideas for contacting dog breeders. Your willingness to connect your two friends was extremely helpful.
Second, you can help them resolve a material problem. Here’s another simple example. Your neighbor needs to get to the hospital to visit her injured sister. Your neighbor’s husband has their car and won’t be back for hours. So you offer to drive her and wait with her. Being unable to get to the hospital was a very big problem. You helped solve the problem.
These examples are trivial. But they illustrate that you can add value even in simple ways with the right mindset.
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The key to a great life lies in shifting your focus from accumulation to contribution. The old saying “He who gathers the most toys wins” needs to be replaced with “He who serves the most prospers”. Remember, happiness is the by-product of a life spent adding value to other people’s lives.
Robin Sharma
