Consumer Surplus...

The idea of consumer surplus is the difference between what a consumer is willing to pay and the amount paid (as long as that difference is positive). There is a balancing act between the price a company sets that the amount the consumer is willing to pay. Price too high and few consumers purchase. Price to low and the company leaves money on the table. The skill is knowing what to price at for a given product or service. Using calculus in a math book you can find the slope of that curve and price at the optimal level; maximizing profits.

This idea holds true me personally as well. In my career I will be paid for a given level of service both in quantity and quality of service. As I've research and network I have been often told that a company will give them everything you let me. If you want to work 90 hrs per week they won't say no. However, there is perhaps a point where that slope begins to change and you begin to get diminishing returns, the costs to give that extra hour may increase and come in the form of missed children's games and performances. At the same time work at times may demand of me something I'm not well suited for and I must gain knowledge quick. My point is in this model if I'm the company delivering the service and my employer is the one paying me for the service. My goal is still the same. To find where the slop of the curve is zero and my profits are maximize while delivering to my employer exemplary work.

This picture shows a key stone. A key stone is the most import stone in the construction of an arch as it keeps the arch from collapsing. The stone pictured is not from a made from some special material or cut in some unique way it is the same as the others. What makes it special is how it is used. My goal in my own life is to find how I can best be used. Whether it be within my career at Intel, serving in the Church, or within my own home my goal is to achieve the maxim of how best I can be of use. I believe doing so I will find not only financial rewards but a richer and more meaningful life.