There are millions of people who are drowning in debt and suffocating under financial pressure, and most blame the economy for their financial struggles. "I can’t get a job because of the economy!" "I can’t pay my bills because of the economy!" "I’m in debt because of the economy!"

But then there are lots of others experiencing outrageous success in the exact same economy. It raises the question – if the economy was truly to blame for either success or failure, then why isn’t everyone experiencing the same success or failure?

Are you ready for this? It’s not the economy! It’s you. Those succeeding in this economy are obviously doing something completely different than the ones who are failing. They know that it’s never the circumstances that determine success in life – it’s how you deal with the circumstances.

What do circumstances have to do with all of this? Here’s the deal. You can either use the economy as an excuse and do what the other 98% of the population is doing – sit back and hope for the economy to change. OR you can become part of this 2% or people who is figuring out how to make themselves more valuable by learning how to thrive in any economy.

There’s a very simple principle I learned when I first got into business, and that is the marketplace pays for value. That principle has helped me, as well as hundreds of thousands of my clients, to make millions of dollars. My clients have gotten giant raises, bonuses, and promotions in their jobs, and their businesses have exploded, all because they have increased their value.

I know you’re saying, "Dani, HOW can I increase my value?" It’s easy… The only way to increase your value is to increase your skill. It’s NOT about your personality, your looks, where you were born, your family, or your background. It’s your skill.

There are 3 skill sets that make you valuable in any economy – professional skills, people skills, and leadership development skills. All of these skill sets will increase your value and your income.

1. Professional skills. Whether you are a doctor, real estate agent, mechanic, waitress, teacher, home business owner, or customer service rep, you must know the basics of your profession. You must be willing to learn new, specialized skills. The difference in a professional and an amateur is your skill.
2. People skills. People are everywhere! You work with them, live with them, buy things from them, and sell things to them. And where does money come from? People! If you learn more about people than you do anything else, you will be unusually successful. If you learn great people skills, you will attain income security. Those who do not have people skills are usually the first to be laid off.
3. Personal development & leadership skills. People with high leadership skills have extremely high influence and high value in the marketplace. They are consistently working on improving themselves, and they raise up other leaders. They have a "no excuse" mindset. They focus on producing results. They do not let circumstances define their success, but they take personal responsibility to create their own success.

It’s time to stop using the economy as an excuse. Because the reality is, if you do the same thing you’ve always done, you’ll get the same thing you’ve always gotten. So you have to take your skills to the next level. If you want to truly succeed in this economy, you’ve got to master professional skills, people skills, and personal development and leadership skills.

Go ahead and take a few minutes right now to evaluate your skill levels in these 3 areas. (How will you know where you stand? Look at the result – your income.) If you would like to increase your income, grow your business, get promoted in your job, and finally get out of debt and on your way to financial independence in 2013, this is where you must start.

Before I sign off for today, would you please help me with something? It’s no secret that people around the world are struggling financially. You have in front of you today a message that will equip people to pull themselves out of a financial pit. And all we have to do is get the message to them. So just share this with them today! You can even post this link on Facebook and Twitter. I believe together we can make a difference!

In great faith,