We are living in trying times at the moment. The interest rates are rising, the cost of living is rising, and the amount of debt is rising, yet incredibly most people’s income is not. So, what do we do? For many people it is spending less, but in doing so, many people trap themselves in a cycle of survival, and never get to a thriving state. I am not just talking about money here. What if you truly understood the difference between cost and value? Would it make a difference?
I am suggesting it will help you to move beyond your circumstances to a state of thriving and abundance. I want to remind you of a very ethereal concept, and that is that every physical manifestation in your life is created from a thought, belief, or perspective you choose to focus on. In other words, the situations you are facing right now have far less to do with knowledge, ability, circumstances, luck, or other people, and far more to do with your thoughts, beliefs and perspectives. If you choose to believe me, and you understand that your outcomes in life are the result of your thoughts, beliefs, and perspectives, not any of the other things you may have been blaming, then you can create change in this instant.
Yes, this instant. How? Shift your thinking, and you immediately start yourself on a different path, to a very different outcome. I often talk about the time I was working seven days per week in two businesses and falling deeper into debt every day. I spiraled to $100,000 in debt. I think we can all agree that is an adverse situation. I was tempted to blame the economy, my lack of ability, the competition, and many other things that would shift the blame away from myself. Short term comfort maybe, but that mindset would have kept me stuck. So, rather than focusing on what I couldn’t do, didn’t have, and didn’t like, I refocused on how I wanted to live. That shift in focus sparked an idea and decision to write my first book. In that instant, my life changed. I immediately felt hope, I saw a path and I understood the difference between cost and value.
In basic terms, cost is what we pay for something (in time, money, attitude, or effort) and value is what it is worth. Far too many people, particularly in times of lack, look only at cost. They go for the cheapest, the thing that takes the least time or effort, and feel like they are making the wisest choice. What if, however, the thing that is the cheapest is the thing that will end up costing you much more down the track? For me, the decision to write a book was going to take time I didn’t really have. It would have made sense for me to just keep working hard on my personal training business. However, had I not invested valuable time in writing my first book, I would not be enjoying the freedom and joy I have today.
My health and wellbeing are important to me, and I hope for you also. Without it, I can’t do any of the things that are important to me to the level I desire. I eat well and have an extensive supplementation regime to ensure my body gets all the nutrients it needs for optimal wellbeing. I use a brand of vitamins and minerals that is at the higher end of the cost scale, but also at the top end of the value scale. They are organically grown, natural, and plant based, versus many products that are synthetically produced and much cheaper. This is an incredible example of cost versus value.
I know for a fact that the nutrients I take are far more readily absorbed into my body because they are in a natural state. In fact, 70-80% of the nutrients will be absorbed. In comparison, many products which are synthetically produced will have far less absorption because the body only allows natural foods into the blood stream. In most cases, only 10-20% of synthetic supplements will be absorbed, the rest will be eliminated and cause damage to the liver on the way out. If we were operating on a cost mindset, we might be tempted to buy the cheaper multi-vitamin from the discount chemist. Let’s say it cost $25 for the cheap and synthetic one, and $50 for the natural and organic one. You may think you are saving money buying the cheap one, right? But are you? What really is the cost of the cheaper product.
Firstly, $25 for 10-20% absorption versus $50 for 70-80% absorption. In other words, you will get 3 to 8 times more absorption by paying just twice as much for high quality and far greater value. Then, think of the cost on the body in removing the synthetic ingredients through the liver. What may be the cost of that, in terms of health recovery, down the track? I will leave that one for you to ponder. It is the same when we operate with a cost rather than value mindset to make decisions about clothes, mechanics, appliances, foods, education, personal development, where we invest our time, and many other things that you just can’t nickel and dime if you want to thrive and live an abundant life.
My podcast this week is called Just as you are with Louise Johnson. Louise is a burnout coach and suffered significant burnout in her job, which put her in hospital, by focusing on cost rather than value. It is a powerful conversation about the value we each have as individuals, irrespective of productivity. As you move forward from here and make decisions which will shape your life, please think carefully about what will help you live the life you desire and be very clear on how cost versus value will affect the life you ultimately experience.