In Search of Assets

By Walt F.J. Goodridge

Special to the Saipan Tribune
Originally published: Wednesday, July 25, 2007


The only way to take control of your life, raise your standard of living and move beyond merely surviving is to create your own unique product or service that you offer to increasing numbers of people in exchange for the things of value that you desire. This simple formula applies to countries as well as people. A self-sufficient economy has its own products or services of value to export to the world. Similarly, a self-sufficient individual has something of value to exchange in the global marketplace. That thing of value is based on your natural talent, skill, or interest—in other words, your passion!


In the pursuit of your passion, it is important to first identify your assets. An asset is a thought, belief, word, action, person or object that you or others perceive that, when associated with or attributed to you, affects your own, as well as the world's perception of you, and can make the world go wow. This “wow factor” is the quality that makes your passion-centered business viable, profitable and ultimately successful.
You may have noticed, that by this definition, anything can be an asset. It’s true. Who you are, what you do as well as what you possess can all be assets.

Who You Are

"Who you are" is an asset, along with the thoughts, words, actions, people and objects associated with who you are. For example, the thoughts about yourself (your self-perception, your identity) are assets. The thoughts that others have about you (public perception) can be assets. The words that describe who you are (feedback), whether in written or spoken form, represent assets. The actions that correspond to who you are (your mannerisms and behavior and personality) are all potential assets. The people who correspond to who you are (your friends) can be assets. The object that corresponds to who you are (your body), yes all of these are assets.

What You Do

Similarly, "what you do" is an asset, along with the thoughts, words, actions, people and objects associated with that. The thoughts that you and others have about what you do, again, are called perception. The words that correspond to what you do are called knowledge or education. The actions that correspond to what you do are your expressed talents, skills, or your profession. The people who correspond to what you do are your associates, students, or masters. The objects that correspond to what you do are your creations. And, too, all of these can be assets.

What You Have

Finally, "what you have" are also assets along with the thoughts, words, actions, people and objects associated with it. The thoughts you and others have about what you have, again, are called perception. The words that correspond to what you have are called descriptions. The actions that correspond to what you have are called accomplishments. The people who correspond to what you have are your fans, employees, or servants. The objects that correspond to what you have are your possessions.

So again, just to be clear, everything that you are, everything that you do, and everything that you have, all have thoughts, words, actions, people and objects associated with them. All of these resulting thoughts, words, actions, people and objects are your potential assets.

Assets Everywhere

When you really understand the nature of reality, you'll realize that absolutely everything is an asset that can help you reach your goals. In addition, every point of contact with the world is an asset.

How you speak, where you live, what you see out your window, how you smell, the way you walk, the way you sneeze, what you believe, what you don't believe, what you've experienced, what you've never experienced, how you write, your possessions, your musical tastes, your butterfly collection, your comic books, your friends, your enemies, your body, what people say about you, what they don't say about you, the languages you speak, the size shoe you wear, the arrangement of furniture in your living room, your ability to whistle a tune on key, your children, your pets, as well as the way you and others perceive these things, all have value in moving you further toward your goal, and may represent some specific perception, language, action, person or thing that you can use to make things happen the way you wish.

With so many potential assets at your disposal, then, how do you determine which ones are to be harnessed to create a Wow in the minds of the masses to be used as the basis of your passion-centered business? The critical step in choosing and harnessing your assets lies in making the right connections.

If, for example, your goal is to become a famous actor, then you should first expect that everything you have ever seen, done, heard, said or owned offers some way-some connection-to turn that dream into a reality. You might ask, “How can my past experience as a clerk in a bank help me to become a world famous actor? Well, it qualifies me to be able to convincingly portray certain roles. It gave me access to information about the banking system. It introduced me to employees, supervisors and customers who might figure into my future success. Who did I meet while there who might have a connection to the movie industry? Perhaps I'll go back there for a visit and mention to whomever I speak with that I'm serious about my acting career. Who knows who I'll meet on the way there?”

Or, perhaps your goal is to find a mate. You might ask, “What do people say about me that is an asset that can help me meet the man/woman of my dreams? What places do I frequent that might prove helpful in exposing me to more people? What music do I like? How can that lead to me meeting people with similar interests? What physical, emotional or personality attributes can I highlight that can make the world go wow?”

The possible connections are almost infinite.

In order to find the best uses of your assets, you must ask, answer and act on the right questions. Here are some suggestions.

The key questions about assets

- What specific assets do I have or have access to that I can use to achieve my goal?

- What creative ways can I come up with to harness the power of these assets?

- Who do I know? What do I know? What do I believe? What Do I own? What have I created? What am I good at? What am I known for? What have I done?

Making a comprehensive list of your assets is the first step in building a successful passion-centered business!

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Until next time, remember, success is a journey, not a destination!-Walt



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