Top 5 Computer Skills To Learn

 

1. Basic Computer Support

Almost every business relies on computers, and many small businesses struggle to find people who understand basic technology.

In my other blog extrahelp.us - I include many articles for very basic computer usage that's worth your time to visit.  Plus I'm adding new posts each month. I also encourage you to subscribe so you know when I add new content.  Your information will never be shared or sold. 

So visit https://www.extrahelp.us and bookmark it.  Also read this entire post to help you undestand what's available, even if you already have basic computer skills.

Learning skills like:

• Installing software

• Troubleshooting computers

• Setting up printers

• Basic networking

• Removing malware

These are valuable skills that many people are willing to pay for.

A great place to start is the Google IT Support Professional Certificate, which teaches the fundamentals of technical support.

Google IT Support Training
https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/google-it-support

Even if you don't complete the entire certificate, the knowledge you gain can be extremely useful.

---

2. Website Development

Every company today needs a website. Many small businesses cannot afford large development companies, so they look for individuals who can build or maintain websites.

Learning:

• HTML

• CSS

• Basic web design

• WordPress

can open many opportunities.

A great place to start learning web development is:

freeCodeCamp
https://www.freecodecamp.org

This site provides completely free courses that walk you step-by-step through building real websites.

---

3. Data Analysis

Businesses collect enormous amounts of data, but they often need people who know how to organize and analyze it.

Skills in:

• Microsoft Excel

• Google Sheets

• Data visualization

• Basic SQL databases

can lead to good entry-level jobs.

Harvard offers free courses related to data science and analysis.

Harvard Online Learning
https://pll.harvard.edu/catalog/free

Even learning advanced Excel skills alone can make someone much more employable.

---

4. Digital Marketing

Companies need people who understand how to promote products online.

Learning digital marketing includes things like:

• Search engine optimization (SEO)

• Social media marketing

• Online advertising

• Content creation

Google offers free digital marketing training.

Google Digital Garage
https://learndigital.withgoogle.com/digitalgarage

These skills can be used to help businesses or even to start your own online projects.

---

5. Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing career fields in the world.

Companies desperately need people who understand how to protect computer systems and networks from attacks.

You can begin learning cybersecurity fundamentals for free through several online platforms.

Cisco Networking Academy
https://skillsforall.com

Many of their introductory cybersecurity courses are completely free.

---

Start Small — But Start

Learning a new skill does not happen overnight.

But if you spend just one hour per day learning something useful, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in a year.

The key is consistency.

A small amount of learning every day can slowly turn into a skill that opens new opportunities.

And sometimes, a single skill can change the direction of your entire life.

---

ChatGPT

You can even ask ChatGPT to help you figure out how to do some of these skills. Or refer to my blog post for more information about Technology.

Get New Posts by Email

I write about poverty, survival, hard lessons, and building a better life.

If this kind of writing speaks to you, subscribe below and I’ll send new posts and updates when they are published.

No spam. No nonsense. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Subscribe to New Posts

Your email will only be used to send updates from this blog. I will not sell or share your information.

Best Skills to Learn to Escape Poverty

Why Learning New Skills Is One of the Best Ways to Escape Poverty

Years ago, if you wanted to learn a new skill, your main option was to buy books.

Buy books?

If you're struggling financially, that's not always possible.

The other option was the library. You could check out books or sit there reading for hours. Libraries are still a fantastic resource today, but the internet has changed everything about how people learn.

If you don't have internet access at home, most libraries provide it for free. And if you're reading this post right now, you already have access to one of the most powerful learning tools ever created.

The point is simple:

There has never been a better time in history to broaden your skills.

In my other blog extrahelp.us - I include many articles for very basic computer usage that's worth your time to visit.  Plus I'm adding new posts each month. I also encourage you to subscribe so you know when I add new content.  Your information will never be shared or sold. 

So visit https://www.extrahelp.us and bookmark it.  Also read this entire post to help you undestand what's available, even if you already have basic computer skills.

---

Choose a Skill That Has Real Demand

Start by picking something you genuinely find interesting. But it's also important to be realistic.

Before investing months or years learning something, take a little time to research how much demand exists for that skill.

For example, many younger people dream about becoming video game programmers. It sounds exciting. You imagine getting paid to play games all day.

But think about the numbers.  If you're not sure where to start, read my blog post about the Top-5 Skills.

Just as an example, imagine there are 500 game programming jobs in the United States. Now compare that to something like database administration, cybersecurity, or network management, where there may be hundreds of thousands of positions available.

Game programming might sound more fun, but choosing a skill that is in high demand gives you a much better chance of finding stable work.

---

The Internet Is Full of Free Training

No matter what skill you decide to learn, the internet offers an incredible amount of free training.

You can find:

• Step-by-step tutorials

• Instructional videos

• Free textbooks

• Complete training courses

Many of these resources are created by professionals who genuinely want to help others learn.

But here’s something even more surprising.

---

Top Universities Offer Free Courses

Some of the most prestigious universities in the world publish entire courses online for free.

You won’t receive official college credit, but the knowledge being taught is exactly the same material students are learning on campus.

Considering that some of these schools charge tens of thousands of dollars per year, having access to their lectures and materials at no cost is an incredible opportunity.

Here are a few places where you can start learning right away.

Free University Courses

Harvard Online Learning
https://pll.harvard.edu/catalog/free
Harvard offers hundreds of free courses in computer science, data science, business, and more.

MIT OpenCourseWare
https://ocw.mit.edu
MIT publishes thousands of complete courses including lectures, assignments, and exams.

Yale Open Courses
https://oyc.yale.edu
Full lecture series from Yale professors in subjects like economics, psychology, and philosophy.

Stanford Online (Free Courses)
https://online.stanford.edu/free-courses
Courses covering technology, entrepreneurship, and professional development.

Coursera (Many Free Courses Available)
https://www.coursera.org
Courses from universities around the world. Many can be taken for free without a certificate.

---

Knowledge Is Now Free — Use It

In the past, education was limited to people who could afford expensive schools or books.

Today, knowledge is available to anyone with internet access.

If you're trying to escape poverty or improve your situation in life, learning new skills is one of the most powerful tools you have.

Take advantage of what’s available.

Learn something useful.
Develop a skill employers actually need.
Keep expanding what you know.

Because the more skills you have, the more opportunities you create for yourself.

Don't be afraid to INVEST IN YOURSELF!

Get New Posts by Email

I write about poverty, survival, hard lessons, and building a better life.

If this kind of writing speaks to you, subscribe below and I’ll send new posts and updates when they are published.

No spam. No nonsense. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Subscribe to New Posts

Your email will only be used to send updates from this blog. I will not sell or share your information.

How to Escape Poverty: The First Step is Admitting It

 

Living in Poverty: The First Step Toward Escaping It

The first step to overcoming any problem is admitting that it exists.

That sounds simple, but when it comes to poverty, it’s one of the hardest steps there is.

Poverty carries a heavy emotional weight. It comes wrapped in shame, fear, and silence. People don’t like to say the word out loud—I’m poor—because society has taught us that poverty is a personal failure instead of a condition.

But poverty is not a moral flaw.

You may be living in poverty because of circumstances completely beyond your control. You may have been born into it. You may have grown up surrounded by it, never seeing a clear way out. You may have done everything “right” and still ended up here.

That happens far more often than most people want to admit.

Why Poverty Is Closer Than People Think

Here’s a truth that makes many people uncomfortable:

Most working adults are only one serious setback away from poverty.

A job loss.
A medical emergency.
A family crisis.
Falling for scams

If you’re living paycheck to paycheck—and millions of people are—losing your income for even a short period can mean missed rent or mortgage payments, drained savings, mounting debt, and a rapid slide into financial instability.

People like to believe poverty only happens to other people. The truth is, it’s often just a thin financial margin separating “getting by” from not getting by at all.

Naming the Reality Gives You Power

There is no shame in honestly acknowledging your situation.

Saying, “I am living in poverty,” is not giving up.
It’s not weakness.
It’s clarity.

When you deny reality, you can’t change it. When you pretend things are fine, you stay stuck reacting instead of planning. Poverty thrives in silence, avoidance, and self-blame.

Facing it—really facing it—changes the dynamic.

Look it in the eye. Call it what it is. Admit where you are right now, without excuses and without self-hatred.

That moment of honesty is not defeat. It’s the starting line.

This Is About Truth, Not Labels

Admitting you’re living in poverty does not define who you are.
It does not predict your future.
It does not mean you will always live this way.

It simply means you’re choosing to deal with reality instead of hiding from it.

And once you stop hiding, you can start learning:

• how poverty actually works,

• why it’s so hard to escape,

• and what practical steps do and don’t help.

You can’t fight an enemy you refuse to acknowledge.

The Path Forward Starts Here

This is step one—not the only step, not the hardest step, but the most essential one.

No false optimism.
No shame.
No pretending.

Just honesty.

If you are living in poverty, admit it—to yourself first. That single act creates space for understanding, strategy, and eventually, change.

And change is possible—but only after the truth is spoken.

Get New Posts by Email

I write about poverty, survival, hard lessons, and building a better life.

If this kind of writing speaks to you, subscribe below and I’ll send new posts and updates when they are published.

No spam. No nonsense. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Subscribe to New Posts

Your email will only be used to send updates from this blog. I will not sell or share your information.

Why Believing in Yourself Matters When You’re Trying to Escape Poverty

 

Why Believing in Yourself Matters When You’re Trying to Escape Poverty

1) Reality

Most people think confidence comes after success.
When you grow up poor, it has to come before.

When you grow up in poverty, self-doubt isn’t a personality flaw—it’s conditioning. You are surrounded by evidence that effort doesn’t always pay off, that hard work can still leave you behind, and that people like you are expected to stay where you started. Over time, that environment plants a quiet question in your mind: What makes me think I’m different?

That question doesn’t shout. It whispers. And if it goes unanswered, it decides your future for you.

---

2) The Rule

Not as a slogan. Not as blind optimism. But as a disciplined decision to treat your own potential as real—before the world confirms it.

Believing in yourself means acting as if your effort, learning, and growth actually matter, even when your current circumstances suggest otherwise.

---

3) Why Should You Care

Poverty constantly provides counter-evidence to self-belief. You try and fail. You work hard and still fall short. You watch people with fewer skills advance because they had access, connections, or timing you didn’t.

Without deliberate self-belief, the logical conclusion becomes dangerous: “This must be my ceiling.”

The rule exists because escaping poverty requires sustained effort before results appear. And no one maintains long-term discipline for a future they don’t believe they’re allowed to have.

---

4) What Most People Get Wrong

Most people misunderstand self-belief in two ways:

• They confuse it with arrogance

• Or they dismiss it as “positive thinking”

Neither is correct.

Self-belief isn’t pretending you’re already successful. It’s refusing to interpret early failure as a verdict on your worth or capability. It’s understanding that lack of results today does not equal lack of ability tomorrow.

Well-meaning friends or relatives often say things like:

• “Just be realistic.”

• “Not everyone makes it.”

• “You should be grateful for what you have.”

What they miss is that realism without self-belief doesn’t protect you—it quietly convinces you to stop trying.

---

5) How to Change The Outcome

Believing in yourself is not emotional—it’s behavioral.

A. Act first, let confidence follow.
Confidence grows from evidence. Evidence comes from action. Start before you feel ready.

B. Separate outcomes from identity.
Failure means a method didn’t work—not that you don’t work. Learn, adjust, continue.

C. Keep promises to yourself, especially small ones.
Each kept promise rebuilds trust with yourself. That trust is the foundation of belief.

D. Limit exposure to voices that define your limits.
This includes people who love you but expect you to stay small because it feels safer to them.

E. Invest in skills that compound belief.
Learning something valuable—slowly, consistently—creates internal proof that you are capable of change.  Invest in yourself, not with money, but time and energy.

Self-belief isn’t declared. It’s constructed.

---

6) Cost of Ignoring It

Without self-belief, you self-select out of opportunity before anyone rejects you. You don’t apply. You don’t ask. You don’t persist long enough to break through the initial resistance that stops most people.

The cost is subtle but devastating:

• You abandon paths too early

• You settle for ceilings that aren’t real

• You mistake fear for wisdom

Worst of all, you live with the quiet question of “What if?”—a question that never fully goes away.

---

7) Closing Thoughts

Believing in yourself doesn’t mean you think success is guaranteed. It means you believe your effort is worth making, even without guarantees.

Poverty tries to teach you that hope is naïve and ambition is risky. This rule exists to reject that lesson.

Believe in yourself not because it feels good—but because without that belief, no long-term escape from poverty is even possible.

I'm not saying that if you simply believe in yourself, everything will work out. We both know that life is unfair, opportunities matter, and yes, hard work and luck matter. But persistence matters too. None of these things guarantee success, but they can improve the odds. Sometimes that's enough to turn small steps into real progress.

This is the first rule because without it, every else collapses under pressure.  You absolutely MUST believe in yourself or no one else will.  Success means different things to different folks.  For me, it meant a very well paying job in Information Technology.

Get New Posts by Email

I write about poverty, survival, hard lessons, and building a better life.

If this kind of writing speaks to you, subscribe below and I’ll send new posts and updates when they are published.

No spam. No nonsense. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Subscribe to New Posts

Your email will only be used to send updates from this blog. I will not sell or share your information.

Poverty in the US

Why Poverty Isn’t a Personal Failure

I know that poverty isn't a personal failure because I lived it.

This blog exists because poverty in America is often talked about by people who never had to survive it. The advice is usually simple, the judgments are quick, and the reality is missing.

This is my attempt to tell the truth—plainly, carefully, and without pretending it’s easy. Growing up, I often told myself, there's got to be an easier way.

---

Why I’m Writing This

I grew up poor. Not “tight budget” poor. Real poor—the kind that shapes how you think, what you fear, and what choices even feel possible.

For a long time, survival was the goal. Not success. Not fulfillment. Just making it through.

Eventually, I found a way out—but it wasn’t fast, clean, or predictable. And it didn’t happen because I suddenly “worked harder.” It happened because I learned things no one had ever explained to me.

This blog is where I write those things down.

---

What You’ll Find Here

I write about:

• What growing up poor actually does to you—mentally, emotionally, and practically

• The hidden rules of poverty that don’t show up in school or self-help books

• Mistakes I made that kept me stuck longer than necessary

• Choices that helped me move from survival to stability

• Why escaping poverty often costs more than people admit

Some posts are stories.
Some are reflections.
Some are uncomfortable truths.

All of them come from lived experience.

---

What This Blog Is Not

This is not a how-to-get-rich blog.
This is not a motivation blog.
It’s not a hustle culture space.
It’s not about blaming people for where they start.

I don’t believe poverty is a moral failure.
I also don’t believe escape happens by accident.

Both things can be true.

---

Who This Is For

This blog is for:

• People who grew up poor and feel like they’re still carrying it with them

• People trying to figure out a realistic path forward, not a fantasy one

• People who made it out and want to understand what that journey took

• Anyone willing to listen instead of judge

If you’ve ever felt behind before the race even started, you’ll probably recognize yourself here.

---

Why This Matters

A lot of survival knowledge never gets written down. It gets lost when people are too tired, too busy, or too ashamed to talk about it.

I don’t want that knowledge to disappear.

If something I learned the hard way can shorten someone else’s struggle—even a little—then writing this is worth it.

---

Start Reading

If you’re new, start at the beginning. The early posts explain where I came from and how poverty shaped my life.

This blog isn’t about pretending everything turns out fine.

It’s about understanding the terrain well enough to find a way through it.

---

A Quiet Invitation

I publish when I have something real to say.

No spam. No hype. No pretending.

Just honest writing about poverty, survival, and the long road toward a better life.

You’re welcome here.

Get New Posts by Email

I write about poverty, survival, hard lessons, and building a better life.

If this kind of writing speaks to you, subscribe below and I’ll send new posts and updates when they are published.

No spam. No nonsense. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Subscribe to New Posts

Your email will only be used to send updates from this blog. I will not sell or share your information.