I haven’t wrote anything on here in a while and I don’t have a good reason. Been busy with the kids, buying and selling houses and coaching football this past year and decided to just let the blog rest. I do miss jotting down things I think about so perhaps I’ll write more in 2015. I’d sure like to get rid of that house in central corridor right about now. Dropped some mail Friday so hopefully the phone rings a lot this week. Me and Junior checked out the NFL Experience in downtown Phoenix today(Superbowl is here in Phoenix this year). He enjoyed the HUGE blow up football and looking inside the new GMC trucks more than anything. Didn’t catch the Pro Bowl but from the highlights it looks like it was entertaining! Stock market is still toying with new highs.. Gas is rediculously cheap. Housing seems okay.. Kind of quiet in Phoenix but very much a seller’s market in Portland. Will be interesting to see how far the stock market can inflate and if they can get loans flowing. Market could inflate if they do those 2 things.. Gold and silver have started to rise in the past month. I wonder if we saw the bottom in the mid teens or what will happen. Still mostly lower lows on a longer term chart..
I saw the movie “The Social Network” this weekend. If you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend it. It is an interesting story and a very well done feature about the story of the creation of Facebook. In watching the movie, the business principal that stood out to me most was that
it’s not about monetizing, it’s about having the best product, then money follows, as was seen with Mark Mark Zuckerberg, the main character and creator of Facebook becoming the youngest self made billionaire ever.
Of the many flaws that have stemmed as a result of our fiat currency system(fiat currency = currency that is not backed by anything of tangible value) as well as our fractional reserve banking system, we have a common factor in our economy of businesses putting sales in front of the product they are contributing. When the Fed pumps monopoly money into the economy, people naturally lose focus on real value, and instead strive to attain as much currency as possible, which they use to then obtain objects of value. The extra step of attaining the currency has created out modern day sales process, and along the way it has given the ultra-rich a vehicle to drive off with our stolen wealth.
I’m not against the idea of money. I believe it is critical for the economy to have a common item to keep trade fluid. My point tho, is that with an over-supply of currency, the focus shifts from creating things of value, to attaining as much currency as possible. The result is less REAL gross domestic product. This doesn’t do anyone any good except for the people trying to gain power.
The beauty of this depression that we are in(technically referred to as a recession – technically referred to as over…) is that with the money supply constricting, it has allowed people to let the smoke clear and start seeing what is real again. When your money is limited, you cannot help but begin to see more clearly what you really want and need. This depression, along with the power of the internet and modern technology, has created a shift from focus on sales to focus on value. It is now more important than ever to be contributing a good product or service. With less currency chasing the same amount of goods and services, the cream is rising up and it is leaving behind the crap! This brings up another great point, “It is never a bad time to start a business unless you’re starting a mediocre(or bad) business.” – (Quote from Gary Vaynerchuk.)
In a boom economy, you can attain currency(sell) on just about and idea or business, as long as you have a strong focus on sales and a good hustle. In a down economy, you CAN thrive, but it is imperative that you are contributing something that gives real value to your consumers.
There are 2 more points I am trying to make with this writing:
1. People – EVERYONE – needs to start thinking of themselves as a business. While I strongly recommend working with people, I strongly oppose working for people.
2. Everyone needs to cash in on their passion! Learn how to live out your passion, and you will have all the money you need, plus control of your own time and destiny. Remember this, skills are cheap, but passion is priceless. Don’t get stressed out thinking about how you will sell, or “monetize” your ideas. Focus on what you are passionate about, then teach, and the people will come to consume what you are providing. People do not want to be sold anymore anyways, they want to be educated. Everyone is disgustingly tired of being “sold” to.
Pick your passion, do it for yourself, and focus on the quality you are delivering as a contribution to your passion. Worthless activities will diminish as a result of doing this, which will increase your purpose, followed by increasing your happiness.
Joshua Gamen's Blog 