No one ever has nothing. It's impossible. If you are alive and reading this right now, you are in possession of at least three of the world's most valuable commodities. Not only that, but you have exactly the same amount of these commodities that every billionaire in the world started with. Exactly the same amount.
These three commodities form the basis of all human power and wealth in the universe.
The things you possess right now, form the basis of everything you imagine as success in human endeavor and they are sitting, latent, right inside you at this very moment and if you can learn to unlock them, you can experience life in ways you never thought possible.
No one succeeds without learning to apply one or more of these commodities and those that succeed "bigly" (yep, it's a real thing, Donald Trump did not invent it, look it up!) typically have all three activated to a very high degree in their life.
You are using one of them right now and what you get out of this depends on it.
Without even knowing it, you use these commodities every single day. They are automatic, you were born with them and they work every single time. Always. You could not shut them down, or make them less effective if you tried.
What's more than this, every single human being you know, from oldest to youngest, from sharpest to slowest, all have exactly the same amount of these commodities and are using them in every interaction.
So what? If we all have them, what's the big deal?
Like so many things in life, having is almost nothing. They say that "possession is nine tenths of the law" meaning that the man holding the money, living on the land, driving the car, is presumed the owner, but if that man doesn't know what to do with it, ownership is worthless.
The key is in knowing, and intention. Once you understand what these tools are, and the power you have to wield them, everything can change. So, be careful here, because what you do next could change everything for you, for better, or worse, so consider carefully before you continue reading.
Once you've learned this, you'll never look at yourself in the mirror the same.
So, be sure you are prepared to put into action what I am about to share before you read another line.
Okay, are you ready? Your active, intentional participation is all that is required to tune these three commodities into change machines that can literally alter the fabric of your universe! (that's not as radical as it sounds, just move into the next room and you've effectively changed the fabric of your universe, but it does sound cool, doesn't it?)
By now some of you are wondering if I am going to tell you what they are.
I will, I promise, in fact, up until now, this article has primarily been an exercise in activating one of these powerful commodities. You may be able to guess what it is.
Commodity #1, Your Attention!
Your attention is yours and you can wield it at will. You can and should choose what your mind and thoughts are focused on, but it's more than that. Attention leads to action and words, (no those are not the other two, but nice guess) and really cannot be separated, which is what gives your attention so much power!
- Attention is what you spend your time doing and thinking about.
- Attention is the mindset you have, are you looking for opportunity,or constantly staring down the road looking for road blocks?
- Attention is the focus of your thinking, conscious and subconscious and it's a very valuable commodity.
We are living in an age when marketers are realizing the power of the "attention economy" first mentioned back in the mid twentieth century. They began to realize that since things that are scarce tend to be valuable, if information was prolific and readily available, then it would surely not be as valuable, but the time and energy used to consume it would be, and that is your attention!
- Businesses and governments rely on this commodity for their power over you. If you don't pay attention, their authority in your life wanes.
- Entertainers and artists vie for a small piece of your attention, often they'll even pay for it to leverage others' attention. (focus groups, free tickets to a premier)
- Someone is liking gaining wealth from your attention. If you work for a for-profit company, they likely make more from your labor than they pay back to you. (unless they are failing) If you are self-employed, and doing it right, your attention is building wealth for you.
Not only that, but anyone who can "capture" your attention wields a very high degree of control over you!
Whether it is a commercial, ensuring your loyalty to a specific brand, even with other brands that you've never tried, an author whose work you really admire, or a government, that convinces you they are the only solution to your problem.
- People who capture your attention can make you want to buy things, and if you have the money, you likely will.
- That desire will drive you to acquire what's needed to get the thing that has your attention! (meaning your attention goes to other things in a chain reaction)
- They can also manipulate your thinking and behavior and change the way you feel, act, think and speak, perpetuating their control onto others, through your influence.
So, how does this fit into success?
Since you have choices to make in where your attention is spent, or invested, you have the ability to alter the course of your life. Right, you say, then why are there starving children, couldn't they just focus on getting food?
Well, start simply. As you sit in your chair, you have a choice, will I continue to give my attention to this writer? Or, will I stand up and walk away. Either way, your life will be different in small, perhaps even imperceptible ways, depending on that choice.
But, to answer the question, attention can make a difference even in dire circumstances. In every culture on earth, there are those that rise above their horrible circumstances and make something more, often taking others with them. If there is even one person succeeding in an environment where you see nothing but abject failure, this is proof that it can be done.
People who have success always say, they focused on something specific.
To use your attention to best advantage, you'll need to prioritize. You'll have to decide, where will you place your limited attention, and how can you make the most of it?
- First, determine, what would you like more of in your life. Sure, you say, financial wealth, health, etc, but be as specific as possible.
- Next, think, is there one thing you could learn, or put attention on that could get you closer?
- Finally, apply your attention to learning, or doing that thing. Start now. It doesn't get any easier.
So, you say, you don't understand, I work seventy hours a week now, I have no more attention. Well, unless you are literally not sleeping, this is not completely true.
- Find a digital audio device and listen to educational podcasts while you work, or even sleep.
- Read a book on your commute to work, during your meal breaks, or when your day is done. You can learn almost anything from books!
- Use your thoughts to focus your attention on finding opportunities, even in a busy work day. No one can claim your thoughts, provided you fulfill your obligations to your employer.
There is always a way, even if all you can do is dream about it, create an escape in your mind that gives you one more happy thought than you had yesterday and build from there!
So, what are the other two commodities?
Wouldn't you like to know? Come back tomorrow and I will share more. For now, find a way to focus your attention onto something productive. Move yourself toward the life you want, even if that just means, having enough to survive.