Step 4: Knowledge Capital
The guidance provided in this section presumes you have already read the chapter on Knowledge Capital in our book, Prosper!: How to Prepare for the Future and Create a World Worth Inheriting. If you have not, we strongly recommend doing so first.
Knowledge Capital is represented by what you know and what you know how to do. The mastery that results from this combination is what you use to create value. Value is what you will exchange for income or the goods and service you require in life.
Education
Given the shortcomings of our modern education system as detailed in Prosper!, it’s important to explore new models for obtaining the knowledge you need at an affordable price — one that doesn’t leave you so indebted that your options are limited.
Peak Prosperity contributing editor Charles Hugh Smith has detailed many of the new emerging — and more affordable — options for gaining mastery in his book The Nearly Free University. You can listen to a podcast interview we did with him on the topic here.
But what if you don’t yet know what type of mastery you want to pursue? For those just starting out in life or those looking to make a career transition, how to do pick the best career path?
Figuring out this heady existential question is a big challenge for most people. Which is why we wrote our book Finding Your Way To Your Authentic Career. The first section of the book provides a progression of specific exercises designed to help you arrive at the best answer for you.
There are also a number of testing services out there that can provide valuable guidance. The single best one we’ve encountered is the Johnson O’Connor aptitudes test. We are such big fans of it that we think everyone should consider it — the insights received will not only help you optimize your career, but your life in general.
Insight
For those looking to stay informed on the Three “E”s and their impact on the unfolding future, there are number of resources worth following. Near the bottom of the Peak Prosperity homepage we list a number of good websites we recommend frequenting.
We also interview notable minds regularly here at Peak Prosperity. We draw from a wide range of subject experts in order to understand the implications of the “Three E’s” across as many fields as possible.
We also produce at least one weekend seminar each year. These gatherings are where we can dive most deeply into the material we cover here at Peak Prosperity, and help attendees craft personalized action plans for taking prudent steps in their own lives. But even more valuable than the content presented, it’s the experience of being in the same room of like-minded people that provides the greatest value during the weekend. Collaborative relationships and strong friendships are forged there which bring real lasting value out of the weekend. You can see the schedule for our upcoming seminars and events here.
There’s a wealth of other seminars and conferences that offer good learning and skill development. Here are several of the gatherings rated highly by the PeakProsperity.com audience:
- PolyFace Farm Intensive Discovery Weekend – provides introductory hands-on experience to basic farming and livestock practices.
- Freedom Fest – 4-day ‘free thinking’ festival focusing on sound money and civil liberty
- Slow Money National Gathering – learn about opportunities for investing capital in sustainable food networks, as well as driving positive social change