|
The Source
of True Value |
| Is it just me, or are the something-for-nothing and
a-whole- lot for very-little schemes springing up like dandelions? The Internet landscape seems to be covered with them. One in particular set me to thinking about what constitutes real value. It began by stating: 'God said it: "Give and ye shall receive". People helping people. That's the most rewarding part of life. Helping others.' Sounds good so far, right? But it went on to say 'Follow the directions below and in two weeks you'll have at least $20,000 because most people respond due to low investment and high profit potential. Just donate ten dollars ($10.00) to one (1) person. That's all.' Getting the picture? One more statement from this ad - 'Integrity and honesty make this plan work.' Now the truth dawns! The $20,000 you are supposed to receive is really 'donations!' They are sent by 'people like you who are willing to invest $10.00 to receive $20,000.' Integrity and honesty or just greed and laziness?? My first exposure to the source of true value lay in the daily schedule on the farm where I grew up. The routine was up by sunrise, milk the cows, do other chores, eat breakfast, then head for the field for whatever tractor duty was called for by the crop and season. Then, in the evening, milk those cows again, do other chores, get cleaned up, eat supper and hit the sack. Frankly, there was much not to like about that life. My least favorite was being the target of little insects we called sweat bees and the bumblebees whose nests we often plowed up. I still hate the sight of a bumblebee! I left the farm for engineering school, never to return as a way of life, but in a sense never leaving either, because I took from those early years the firm conviction that real value comes only from honest work. When all the effort has been expended and the crop has been planted and cultivated, the result is left in the hands of the God who sends rain when and where He pleases. Yet no farmer in his right mind sits around waiting for the donations of others to bring him wealth. He knows that God has placed the potential for supporting his family in his own hands, to create value by simply putting his heart and sweat into the task before him. I am now in the final stages of preparing to sell the first information product of my own creation. I have worked as hard as I ever have in my life to make this a useful product and bring it to market. It has unleashed creative energies I didn't know I had! I think it will fill a real need in the Internet world, and am more excited about it than anything I ever did in the corporate world. At the same time I am aware that the failure rate is high for such Internet ventures and that the product could be greeted by a very large yawn. But do you know what? I choose to still believe that God has placed in my hands the potential to create value by honest, hard work, whatever the degree of financial reward He may bring as a result. Yes, some will make their $10 'donation' and receive much more in return, perhaps even $20,000. But that does not change the fundamental principle of value, and those who profit from this scheme will have been robbed of the significance of that truth. Abraham Lincoln once asked the question, "If you call a tail a leg, how many legs does a dog have?" Someone answered "5." Lincoln replied, "No, calling a tail a leg doesn't make it so." Failure of my product or success in 'donations' schemes may well occur, but that doesn't change the fundamental, enduring principle that true value comes only from honest labor. Think about it. Glenn Gordon - Building Success Online at http://www.ur-in-business.com The Ultimate Autoresponder Guide at http://www.AllAboutAutoresponders.info http://www.BusinessBuilderNewsletter.com This article may be freely reproduced as long as the resource information is included. |