The Lost Concept of Value

"Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value"

- Albert Einstein

In today's modern age, the concept of value, has, well, lost its value. People no longer have the drive to become valuable members of society. It seems that people just want the government, corporations, and other agencies to take care of them, instead of actually offering value to these companies and entities. It is no wonder the world is now manifesting job cuts and shortages. The mass being distracted, forget to sit back and learn the lessons from the daily happenings.

With the recent job cuts in various industries the populace is now realizing that some of the positions that were held in the past, are no longer relevant or necessary, and in fact, weren't really important in the first place. Employees are not being called into meeting, and they are asked what they do for the company. Some draw blanks, or proceed to name a list of what they thought was valuable, all skills that can be learned by anybody off the street. The machines that are currently made to do these tasks are scaring the erudites of today. The outsourcing of basic tasks is frightening many collar workers. Yet, we still are not getting the message, the message of value.

You see, the new coming age is all about the value of an individual. Since people have stopped reading and now spend most of their time doing brain draining activities like watching television or shopping (frequently) they have lost a vast amount of value.

The Americans who existed in the beginnings of this country were much more skilled. Even those in the ghettos had marketable skills which included a type of trade. Some of the jobs these lower class folks had back in those times are in demand now. Plumbers and carpenters are now found making as much or sometimes more then individuals who chose the route of the institution of higher learning (college). It's confusing when looking at it from a close up view, but it makes a lot of sense when looking from the bird's eye view! Simply, plumbers and carpenters are necessary! They provide something to society. There job is invaluable in the continuation of civilization. Civilization needs plumbing and as long as there are housing and other buildings, carpentry will be necessary. Then you come to these various "business professionals" that work in Fortune 500 companies, that really don't provide anything to the company other than an opinion, an opinion that is vastly losing its value, as evidenced by studying who these companies are laying off.

These companies are not laying off accountants, those skilled in law, people who provide high quality consultations, etc! These people are one hundred percent necessary to run a business and keep it going forward steadily. There may be some instances where someone who provided "something" was laid off, but if that person truly valued themselves, they wouldn't worry about finding another job. This individual would realize there are hundreds of companies out there who wish to have someone who is valuable. A valuable person is always useful, ALWAYS!

In the early 1900's, when African Americans experienced heavy prejudice, a man named Booker T. Washington came forward and expressed something very interesting. He stated:

"The whole future of the negro rests largely upon whether or not he should make himself, through skill, intelligence, and character, of such undeniable value to the community in which he lived that the community could not dispute his presence."

What was Booker T. Washington saying here? He was expressing the fact that anyone who raises themselves up through study and gains intelligence, skill, and character, will be of value to their community. Thus, they will always have a use. They will have the ability to even bypass a strong form of demographic prejudice, based on the fact that they were needed. You can only mistreat someone to an extent when their service is needed! This is in fact how many African Americans of that age were able to accumulate large amounts of Federal Reserve Notes. It was through self study and a touch of perseverance. This same lesson could be used for Americans in this day and age who are dealing with layoffs and job cuts. This just means that the days where you can sit around at the job and do nothing, or do something mindless, is over.

I hear the complaints of managers who talk about employees who don't do anything all the time! Most are on Facebook during the work day or goofing off, not really doing anything. Now I don't believe in back breaking work, but I do believe that work should add value. How are you adding value when all you do is go on Facebook while at work? One cannot be made at someone for taking advantage of a job where they don't have much to do by logging onto Facebook, Youtube, etc. But when the layoffs come, and companies decide to cut down on your job, you have to realize they could have laid you off any time. These people don't lay off those who are of high value to the company - point blank!

Consciousness must rise! The worth of humanity must rise! Individuals must become more reliable.

Metaphysically, the message from events like high unemployment and layoffs translates to value. Humanity must learn to become valuable again. We must provide jobs, and take part in jobs that are of value to the planet. Humanity must also lose its ignorance, and become educated again, self-educated that is! Most are surprised when they read early United States documents like the Articles of Confederation, or even the Federalist papers, they notice that these people were well taught. These people were well studied and knew their stuff! They spoke eloquently and wrote methodically, and one cannot help but realize that these folks were on top of their game. According to literacy tests, people were 75%-100% literate in those times! They were definitely more literate than the new-age Americans, who suffer from aliteracy and get all their information from media outlets (that are largely controlled and sanctioned). Did you know that before the institution of public schools worldwide, people actually could read better? Yep! The literacy rate was higher.

People like George Washington were taught by their father or had a private teacher. Many others were simply self taught or studied under people. This was very successful as evidenced by the quality of people in the different colonies.

Ending, please take the time to add value to yourself. Sit down and think to yourself how can I become valuable? Take the time to study various sciences and principles. Read accounting books, read law books, learn about business, learn to speak better, learn more vocabulary words, learn astronomy, learn the cycles in nature, learn everything! Use that time you save for boredom to learn! I promise you, those who are highly skilled will never be out of a job, or if they are, they will have no trouble getting back to where they want to be! It is only inevitable! If people like Booker T. Washington can go against the odds by becoming a better person, than ANYONE can.

This does not mean to go out and just study everything. Learn your niche, learn what you are good at, and focus on becoming better at that, cultivate your skill! Don't pick up something random that you hate. Don't pick up accounting when your spirit is totally against it. Do the things you know that you are good at. Do the things you enjoy, but become a MASTER at it, there is no room for being mediocre at what you are meant to do, no excuse! If you are good at making shoes, you better make some of the best and most comfortable shoes! If you are good at quoting basketball stats to your friends and you love it, then you better becoming the best scout or analyst, or something dealing with the stats of the sport. You better be a master at it though! No room for lackluster efforts or laziness.

Thanks for reading!

"We live in deeds, not years. In thoughts not breaths, in feelings, not in figures on a dial."

Sean Tudor Carter is an experienced investor, entrepreneur, research and writer for the Young & Opulent Group, a company formed to serve the needs of up and coming entrepreneurs, investors, and scholars who wish to reach opulent goals and stay consciously afloat in these fast changing times.