Most of the problems and misalignments in our world today exist because of money.

Think about it… Get rid of the monetary system and you eradicate most issues. Only a very small percentage of privileged people, those who know how to play the game efficiently, benefit from this [...]]]> Our monetary system has failed. Game over.

Most of the problems and misalignments in our world today exist because of money.

Think about it… Get rid of the monetary system and you eradicate most issues. Only a very small percentage of privileged people, those who know how to play the game efficiently, benefit from this monetary system that has been established at one point in history.

At its core, though, this ancient, destructive, ego-driven system of currency, exchange, power, politics, and getting paid for things is based on fear instead of love—doomed to failure.

What would people do if they would not receive money for, or a monetary benefit from, the things they know and do? Some say money wouldn’t bring happiness. Why then do millions and millions of people suffer so horribly on our planet? At the same time there are others who watch this with the intention of retaining the status quo, due to money and the fear of loss.

What would you do if you would get the things you need and desire, without the need for receiving money for anything? Would you still do the same work you do now? Would you still lie and cheat? Would you still give the impression of being someone that you actually aren’t and doing things that you actually don’t do? Would you still be together with the same person? Would you still hurt people (and, in turn, hurt yourself)?

I think that most of these negative emotions and destructive behaviors are due to the monetary system on planet earth. And when you get rid of it you eliminate fearful and harmful behavior at the same time.

We need a new system that benefits all equally, all 7 billion of us.

Here’s part of my vision for a better world in which most, if not all, people would benefit greatly and enjoy a good and better life.

• No more money.
• No money = no more crime.
• No money = no more wars.
• No money = no more poverty.
• No more competitive, egocentric, better-than-thou thinking & attitudes.
• Prosperity is shared equally among all. We don’t work for one person or one company or one government. Instead, every individual works for the prosperity and well-being of all 7 billion people on our planet at the same time.
• People still work, but everyone is being compensated or rewarded equally—solely based on the amount of hours contributed to the local, national, and global community.
• With this substantial change comes an elevated awareness of one-consciousness.
• Life is filled with, and based on, affinity and harmony.
• Decisions are lead by unconditional love.

Now, some might be wondering how we could possibly survive without money. How would we get food and something to drink, for example? What about shelter? How could we “afford” that new gadget, car, dress, dinner when money doesn’t exist anymore?

I am confident that we are smart enough to figure these kind of things out. As a matter of fact, we do that already every single day. Our planet exists, survives, and thrives because of us.

Living in a world without money.

Without money, we would still continue to do the things we already do, or, even better, do what we love to do.

How exactly could this work out? Hmm, perhaps with some sort of a collective reward system from the community? Like the “thumbs up” way of approval you see on social platforms—where good and truly beneficial things are being evaluated, valued, and approved by the collective wisdom.

These types of approvals could be on papers, ID cards, websites, whatever.

As far as such a collective reward system is concerned, I can imagine 4 – 8 “levels” here, according to the amount of hours contributed (one “level” per hour per day). Those who don’t work would receive (nonetheless good) primary care, whereas those who spent 4 – 8 hours per day working for the prosperity and well-being of all would receive (i.e., could “order”) whatever they desire. Then the other levels in-between.

You think that people would get lazy and stop working? Think again…

People have desires. Although guaranteeing survival, we want more than the basic stuff and primary care. So we’ll continue working in order to enjoy a better lifestyle (travel, a better car, electronics, jewelry, certain clothes, bigger homes, help, services, etc.). And because we’re being rewarded equally, our motivation rises.

Why a maximum of 8 levels? This is to prevent the craziness that’s going on right now, with just a handful of smart or lucky millionaires & billionaires on one hand and an insane amount of people who can’t afford simple basic stuff on the other.

By the way, I don’t think that there would be a need for yet another political control mechanism for this type of system. What I do think is that the local, national, and global community enlarge would manage itself quite well—much better than certain people fear. ;-)

Let’s use a real-world example.

Do you like fresh bread in the morning? The baker continues to prepare fresh bread because he still wants to, not only see your happy smile when you pick up your bread, but also receive your approval for that he did a good job. And the truck driver will continue to deliver the goods necessary to prepare fresh bread as he wants the local community to thrive and be well, as well as receive the collective approval for doing a good job so that he can order/receive the things he desires. Similarly, the truck driver will still receive the gas (from the gas station) necessary to drive his truck, and support from car mechanics. And on it goes…

Folks would receive approval from the community for doing a good job and helping everyone to thrive. As a result, they can order the things they desire, according to the hours contributed—without any monetary exchanges.

No more differentiation.

I see no differences anymore in terms of the amount of reward one receives per hour of work. You spend one hour doing something for the local, national, and/or global community? You get the same amount of approval and prosperity—no matter where you live, which skin color you have, which language you speak, which education you received, which relationships you maintain, which people you know, your ability—or inability—to communicate and persuade, etc.

For example, the maid who’ll spent 5 hours cleaning my home tomorrow would enjoy the same level of prosperity than a boss of a big corporation who spent 5 hours in a meeting. Seeing this with the ancient way of life, the boss of the corporation would still have the same lifestyle (more or less), but for the maid it would mean a substantially better lifestyle—elevated to that of the boss.

The nurse who saved the life of two people would receive the same amount than the person who manages the hospital.

The guy who keeps a city’s streets neat and clean would receive the same amount than the city’s major.

The guys and girls who prepare and serve food in a restaurant would receive the same amount than the owner of the establishment.

Isn’t it amazing what that would lead us to?

No more political restrictions and borders.

I further see country borders vanish. Again, no money = no crime. Due to the elevated prosperity among all and the eradication of the monetary system, there would be no need anymore to politically “control” and “protect” stuff.

Heightened productivity.

With that being said, I think we can spend 50% less time working and still have the same amount, if not more, prosperity and well-being on our planet. If you look at it, most people that work in a 9 – 5 job environment are not that productive anyway, knowing that they only get a very small share of what they actually contribute time-wise. They could deliver the same amount of work in half the time, with more fun at work—knowing that what they do is for the greater good, for the expansion of their own prosperity and well-being as well as that of the local, national, and global community—rather than just for one person or a select few privileged.

If you still think that people would simply get lazy and fake things, again, I don’t think so. The local, national, and/or global community would notice it and point it out accordingly (lovingly & supportively, though). In addition, because prosperity is shared equally among all, the desire for pressure and cheating vanishes.

Again, remove fear from the equation and start to truly love and trust.

Raised motivation.

That being said, whatever we do we do it not just for a select few smart people but for all 7 billion. Don’t you think that this alone would give us a huge boost in motivation and productivity?

I do think so.

Also, as you can’t control (at least not for very long) the way someone lives his or her life (for example, you don’t like the way someone leads a company or country), removing the monetary system would automatically alter someone’s attitude and behavior to one that serves the good for all. Because, once you eliminate money, what is left?

The things one wholeheartedly wishes and desires.

Conclusion.

I hope & wish that we eradicate the ancient and destructive monetary system sooner rather than later; that we head towards oneness; that everyone enjoys a prosperous lifestyle on our planet; that we help and contribute to the local, national, and global community and benefit from it equally—without money, fears, lies, egocentricity, and laws, but with altruism, harmony, honesty, prosperity, trust, and unconditional love.

By the way, recent studies show that by sharing the currently available wealth equally across the planet, everyone would essentially be a millionaire (that is, in the outdated monetary system). However, since most people would or could not keep those millions of money, we need a new system in place that guarantees long-lasting welfare for all.

Our planet enlarge already does prosper, the wealth is just unfairly and unequally shared.

I very welcome the phase of time we are currently in. If you are fearful, don’t be. Trust in the good in humanity. Everything will work out well for everybody, including you. People will not stop working. Remember, we need each other.

Welcome changes. Applaud the demolition of the monetary system as it will bring us a much better, more beneficial system with infinite, equal possibilities for everyone.

Life is supposed to be fun, right? So let’s establish a system that ensures a fun experience for everyone. I’m so ready for it.

I barely scratched the surface here, though, and I’m open for more ideas from, um, the global community. :-)

—Marcus Hochstadt

You have a new business in mind; you may have the contracts waiting and eager clients knocking on your door, but are you ready to take that leap into the unknown? That giant leap of faith that launches your transition from employed [...]]]> When Do You Quit Your Job? It’s The Ultimate Leap Of Faith.

You have a new business in mind; you may have the contracts waiting and eager clients knocking on your door, but are you ready to take that leap into the unknown? That giant leap of faith that launches your transition from employed to self employed?

The majority of workers welcome the stability and “security” obtained from being employed.

In an ideal world, they can keep their home life and work completely separate. They have regulated hours, a pension plan, holiday pay, paid sickness and other benefits, and then receive a monthly or weekly wage for their efforts.

Or in modern words, they trade hours for money.

Of course, the real working world can be very different, with dissent from your colleagues, an over demanding boss, unsociable working hours, stress, little advancement or lack of recognition for your efforts, but still you continue.

Regardless what your job does or doesn’t do for you, at least it brings you security… really?

Successful entrepreneurs would never consider returning to the rat race. Despite the hurdles they have faced throughout their career, wild horses could not drag them back to the fortress of a full time employment.

The benefits of running your own successful Internet business far outweigh the fear of losing your “security,” or I rather call it supposed security. No matter how secure your employment feels, you cannot be naive enough to think you would never face the risk of redundancy, unemployment, or that final eventuality we all have to reach—retirement.

It is something I faced myself in 2003. I was so sure I would never lose my 6-year old Sales Manager job that I even planned to stay in the company 3-4 more years. And then, out of nowhere, the company’s French Headquarters decided to get rid of 70% of their German sales team—within two weeks…

BANG!

That time made me realize nothing is more secure than being your own boss and running your own business.

It may come with risks, but to the successful businessman and -woman they are planned and calculated. The benefits and new-found security from owning your own business far outweighs the meager rewards found in a full time employment. Speaking of which…

Building Confidence And Control

When you have the confidence in your products, skills and abilities, your possibilities are endless. You don’t have to run anything by the boss but take on full responsibility for your actions.

Every day presents a new learning curve. By taking on and conquering all challenges, the confidence you acquire is boundless. Suddenly you have the control over your own business and the direction in which you are going to take it. The decision making is in your hands and not forced upon you.

It Is Self Governing

You can set your own working hours, salary, holiday time and overall working policies. Running your own Internet business allows you to flexible with your time and achieve a rewarding work and home balance. If you want to work over the weekend and have time off in the week when the masses are all in their offices, it’s your choice. You have the freedom.

By the same respect, you cannot run wild. Owning your own business requires discipline and unlimited motivation, and you have to govern your own progress to ensure your success.

You Can Choose Your Own Direction

Many successful entrepreneurs move from business to business. They rarely stay on one track for the rest of their careers. If one idea does not work for them, they are free to move on to another, and constantly explore new avenues for success.

The life span of your career is also your own choosing. You can retire early, or continue to enjoy working long after retirement age, rather than go by the restrictions of your employer.

Creating A New Network

There is life outside your old office. Successful business entrepreneurs are expert networkers. They enjoy meeting new people and discovering new opportunities.

You are no longer confined to your colleagues or old employer’s network, but able to meet new, dynamic and likeminded people many of whom have also thrown off those shackles of employment.

Of course, every new business needs planning. You cannot resign immediately then run before you can walk.

Take time to plan your new career. If you can, run it alongside your existing employment on a part-time basis. Once it starts bearing fruit, you have the funds to make the final leap, or switch your employment to part-time and use your free hours to bring your new Internet business to the next level.

And do take advice. Not from the detractors who want the security of their employment though, but listen to those who have made that leap and have succeeded.

Find and learn from those who walk the talk.

—Marcus Hochstadt

When we grew up we’ve been told that if we look after the cents that the dollars will look after themselves, right? What I mean is that if you take care of the small cents then this will [...]]]> If you look after the cents, will the dollars really look after themselves?

When we grew up we’ve been told that if we look after the cents that the dollars will look after themselves, right? What I mean is that if you take care of the small cents then this will accumulate and form larger and larger amounts of money.

So is this really true?

Well, perhaps, but it doesn’t mean that you can neglect whole dollars!

I am quite interested in people’s behavior when they are exposed to certain situations. It’s great fun to watch. There really isn’t anything as queer as folk! Although everyone is different, we all have some of the same “built in responses.”

For example, when you are shopping for fairly small purchases then most people will choose the lowest price down to the last cent. Let’s say some apples cost $1.99 and the others cost $1.89, then most people will choose the cheapest ones, right? This is assuming, of course, they are of the same quality, which brings me onto an interesting point.

The quality of something like fruit is fairly easy for anyone to determine. You can physically pick fruit up and feel it. If it’s bad then anyone will be able to tell. You don’t need any form of special education. All you need is experience! If the fruit is bad then you will be able to tell.

However, if you are buying something more complicated like a TV or a car, then it can be difficult to assess the quality as we may not completely understand how it works.

This could explain people’s behavior when it comes to larger purchases. People do not seem to be concerned with price differences between comparable products when they are spending more money, like $1,000 or $100,000.

If you are making a very large purchase like a car, then spending a few extra hundred or thousand dollars won’t make that much of a difference as the car is already expensive. Funny, huh? However, this is still your money. So if you are interested in saving cents, why not turning that around and look after saving big money instead? Is less stressing.

What I mean is this… Some folks are stressed in looking after differences in cents and then ending up in headaches every day why they ended up “loosing” 20 cents here or 14 cents there because they didn’t spend enough time to compare the prices in different stores.

On the other hand, that same people are literally very happy when they purchase a new gadget or that beautiful dress for $500 or $1,000 they saw last week. In that case, it doesn’t seem to make a difference whether to spend $900 or $1,000, but it does make a difference spending $1.99 or $1.89?

How’s that possible?

I strongly encourage you to waste no more time comparing the prices of apples and milk, but rather to take a deep look at the big money. Focus on big money rather than cents.

People waste so much time staring at the note of the grocerystore or restaurant (ex., whether they charged correctly, etc). Yes, my opinion… it is a waste of valuable time.

Simply trust that all is well and sound.

We had a nice experience the other month. I told my wife the story that folks usually complain when a store or restaurant charged too much, but on the other hand we do NOT go back when they charged too less.

Isn’t this unfair?

Let’s imagine you purchase lots of stuff in a supermarket, then after the cashier you check whether they charged correctly. Let’s assume they charged $2 less. Why don’t we go back to the front desk and give them these $2?

When I paid Edilene’s driver license the other day they were about to charge her $35 less than previously discussed. She reminded them of the correct (i.e., higher) amount. Can you imagine how surprised they were?

OK, back to cents and dollars…

Again, instead of focusing on cents, why not being a bit more concerned whether to spend $50,000 here or $4,000 there is the right choice? When you are concerned about spending $1.99 instead of $1.89, you focus on small money and may receive only that in your Internet business: small money… cents… bucks… or even nada.

I really avoid looking for cents but rather look after the big money.

When I go shopping and I’m OK with the prices in a particular store I simply walk through the store and pick the items of my interest. I even avoid looking at the prices. This works not always, but more and more often.

This saves me so much headache, nerves, time, and after all money!

Here Is The Challenge

The next time you go shopping, pick a store of your price range. If you don’t know the price range of a particular store, take a short look at the prices of a couple common items. If you feel comfortable after that short peek, walk in.

Then do NOT look at any more prices while you discover interest in this or that item. Again, do NOT look at the price.

Instead, be aware of your feelings. Do you want it? Buy it!

—Marcus Hochstadt

“Thanks; I’ll try that.”

“Let’s try this out and see how it works.”

“You better try this instead of that.”

How does “to try” work? Here’s an example…

Try to grab a glass of water with your right hand. It’ll [...]]]> How often do we use the word “try”? Things like…

“Thanks; I’ll try that.”

“Let’s try this out and see how it works.”

“You better try this instead of that.”

How does “to try” work? Here’s an example…

Try to grab a glass of water with your right hand. It’ll work if you’d just try. ;-)

The result… You either do grab the glass or you don’t; there is no try. (“Try” does sound softer though, doesn’t it?)

Here’s a hint: When you try you start the vicious circle of thinking-planning-thinking. The word “do,” on the other hand, is a lot more powerful (yet carries some sort of a commitment with it, right?). So let’s reword the above a little…

“Thanks; I’ll do that.”

“Let’s do this and see how it works.”

“You better do this instead of that.”

Does sound better, doesn’t it?

Now, take a look at the words you choose throughout the day. How often do you use the word “try”? How much more power would you give your mind when you’d use the word “do” instead?

Well, why not simply try do it to see the results? ;-)

—Marcus Hochstadt