The biggest thing about creating value is to realize WHAT might have value to someone else.

In the oldest version of the Aesop’s fable of the Lion and the Mouse, the Lion is trapped by hunters with a net. As they boast about their great capture, the mouse gnaws through the ropes and frees the Lion, who owes him a debt of gratitude even though he is king of beasts.

When you think of it, are there many things more annoying and destructive than a mouse’s nibbling and shredding of useful things? But in the case of the Lion, having this talent handy was a life or death kind of a proposition.

This principle goes both ways…

1. It tells us that no matter how great we think we are, someone out there has something to offer that we could not do ourselves, and
2. No matter how SMALL we think we are, we have something to offer somebody that might just mean the world to them.

Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t. -Bill Nye, the Science Guy

 

When setting out to do Shoestring Step Number THREE: Learn To Create Value, it’s less about learning to be “creative”, like a poet or musician or great author… Creating Value has a great deal more to do with just trying to be helpful.

After all, there are at least a few things that you know how to do, that others don’t. And when you present yourself as a helping hand and be cool and just provide a solution without asking for anything in return… you become that kind of guy people will call on again and again. You’re an expert, the go-to guy. Or gal.

Later on, it’ll make sense for you to ‘monetize’ the things you create. But for right now, just hang out with likeminded folk and see what problems you share. Start thinking of solutions for yourself first, then share those solutions with others that you know. It may not seem like anything special to you. But I guarantee you, if you cut the learning curve for someone else they just might BEG to give you compensation before you know it.

Remember, everyone you meet knows something you don’t. AND… you have a way to help a lot of people that you meet. It just takes a willing heart to Create Value.

Okay Steppers! Tell me whatcha think of this post. And subscribe if you haven’t, wouldja?

Keep Stepping,

Kurt

P.S.> One of my favorite short inspirational stories on Creating Value comes from a fella that made solutions for himself that he shared with others, and ended up founding and selling a company for $22 million. Uh, yeah. Derek Sivers, you rock at Creating Value.

Steppers, if you get a chance, jump on over to sivers.org and look specifically for this great little animated short from Derek’s book, Anything You Want. Scroll down the page and look for this  video, then take about three minutes and watch this vid: