I understand your desire to increase your earnings, whether through a higher monthly paycheck or greater business revenue. But let’s face the truth: many people rely on the lifeless power of wishes. Wishing changes nothing. Action does. Words alone don’t transform finances. We live in a world that validates the old saying: “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.”
Kumar Mahanandia was born into poverty in India and faced severe social stigma due to his caste. Despite these challenges, he earned admission to the College of Art in New Delhi. His life changed dramatically when he met Charlotte Von Schedvin, a Swedish woman traveling in India, who commissioned him to paint her portrait. That meeting sparked a relationship that transformed his destiny.
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When Charlotte returned to Sweden, Kumar promised to join her without accepting financial help. Unable to afford airfare, he sold all his possessions and embarked on a 4,000-mile bicycle journey across Asia and Europe, cycling for nearly five months through Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, and several European countries. His determination and love story captured global attention.
Eventually, Kumar reached Sweden, married Charlotte, and settled there. Today, he is a renowned artist and cultural ambassador, celebrated worldwide. His relationship didn’t just change his personal life, it elevated his social and professional value, opening doors to opportunities he could never have imagined. This story illustrates how a single strategic relationship can redefine one’s trajectory, turning obscurity into influence and recognition.
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As the year 2025 draws to a close, never to return, the most critical financial decision you must make is how to increase your income. And the answer lies in one principle: the power of value, personal value development. Everything in life grows to the degree of its value. Read that again. Value is the nucleus of growth, the focal point of progress.
Look around: Microsoft grows by value. Meta (formerly Facebook) grows by value. Dangote thrives by value. Let’s keep it simple: Value is the benefit you represent relative to the price people are willing to pay. In other words, you are as valuable as what people are willing to exchange for you. And this price isn’t limited to money. Time measures value. How much time people invest in you reflects your value. Sacrifices people make for you indicate your value. Even organizational decisions, such as firing multiple employees to retain one person, are reflections of perceived value.
No value, no growth. It’s that simple.
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Why Corporations Spend Billions on Value
Across the globe, multinational corporations spend fortunes to build and sustain value. They hire brand managers, value engineers, and marketing strategists to amplify their worth. Consider these examples:
- Amazon: In 2024, Amazon spent $21.4 billion on advertising and promotion, the highest on record.
- Coca-Cola: Its global ad spend reached $5.146 billion in 2024, up from the previous year.
- Apple: Invests between $1.9 billion and $2.2 billion annually in marketing, product launches, and global campaigns.
Why such massive investments? Because in a hyper-competitive world, relevance is survival. If you cling to old habits while wishing for financial growth, you’ll be left behind.
My Personal Journey: From Wishes to Action
Years ago, I desperately craved career growth. For months, I played the game of wishes, nothing changed. At the time, I worked in a Nigerian financial institution earning about ₦170,000 monthly (≈$1,200). Adjusted for inflation, that amount today equals less than $113, a stark reminder of the time value of money my economics professor once emphasized.
Had I stayed without promotion, my salary’s real value would have eroded drastically. Even as a senior executive in the same bank today, earning ₦3 million monthly (≈$3,000) would barely sustain a decent lifestyle for an executive in Nigeria’s inflationary economy. That realization pushed me to act faster than my contemporaries were willing to act.
I buried the art of wishes and embraced strategic relationships, connecting with individuals ahead of me, whose values aligned with my aspirations both in morality and in results. That single decision changed everything. It multiplied my capacity to earn more legitimate income by more than 3x of what my income would have been as a senior bank executive.
Strategic Relationships: A Catalyst for Value
Corporations understand this principle well. When they seek to boost value, they pursue strategic partnerships, often through mergers and acquisitions. Consider:
- Disney’s $71.3B acquisition of 21st Century Fox: Expanded its content library and strengthened streaming platforms like Disney+.
- Exxon-Mobil merger (1999): Created the largest publicly traded oil company, generating billions in cost savings.
- Facebook’s $1B acquisition of Instagram: Enhanced mobile and photo-sharing capabilities.
- Amazon’s $13B acquisition of Whole Foods: Integrated physical retail with digital logistics.
These moves weren’t random, they were deliberate strategies to amplify value.
What This Means for You
If you’re tired of the status quo and want to grow your income, stop relying on wishes. Build value through strategic relationships. Connect with people and businesses performing at a higher level both in morality and in results. Leverage their knowledge, influence, and networks. The person you know often determines who wants to know you, driving up your value exponentially.
Imagine becoming a trusted advisor to a global influencer. Overnight, your perceived value skyrockets. Why? Because relationships transfer knowledge, skills, influence, opportunities, and even financial capacity.
Final Thoughts
Don’t waste time hoping for change. Wishes don’t grow income, value does. And one of the fastest ways to increase value is through strategic relationships. Start today.
Ayo Akerele is the senior pastor of Rhema Assembly and the founder of the Voice of the Watchmen Ministries in Ontario, Canada. He can be reached through [email protected]
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