Your golden goose
Your Golden goose
If jack, the boy hero in Jack and the bean stalk was like most modern business owners or most people he would have climbed up the bean pole and grabbed a golden egg, then raced down as the giant chased him. Then after he spent his proceeds from the egg he would do it again. He would do it every day as his expenses required. If someone would have given Jack an opportunity of a better job or invited him to a networking event like BNI or a chamber of commerce, Jack would have said I can’t go with you, I am heading up the bean pole for another golden egg, I have a mortgage and bills to pay.
Now I have been telling stories about giants, witches, about a prince, princesses, three little pigs, bears, Cinderella and The Bean Stalk story for thirty years to three Kids and seven grandchildren. I am on my second generation of storytelling and I am looking forward to the third generation of stories. So I know that Jack did not climb up the bean pole every day for a golden egg. He got the golden goose that lays golden eggs!
I speak a lot to business owners about Jack and the Bean Stalk and the golden goose. One time when I was speaking, my son videotaped it and put it on You Tube. My granddaughter Paige, seven at the time watched it and fell off her chair laughing. She asked me “you teach gown ups about Jack and the bean Stalk?â€
I said “yes.†She was going through some rough times. A seven year old should never be going through hard times. Her mom was an addict and things were not well for them. One time Paige said to me “we’re not going to make it are we?†I said “sure you are!†I encouraged her and she felt a lot better. After she saw the video and after she asked me if I taught grownups about Jack and the Bean Stalk, she also asked “is there really magic in those beans?†I answered “of course, I wouldn’t tell grownups about it if it wasn’t true, would I?†At that second we had a moment of grace. She knew that grandpa was authentic. The grandpa she knew during bedtime stories was the same grandpa at work.
To me the contrast on Jack getting the goose that lays golden eggs verses him going after just one egg is huge. To me the pursuit of the golden egg represents poverty thinking. The concept of going after the egg and not the goose is welfare thinking, or hand to mouth, paycheck to paycheck. It represents working at just a job, as my friend Russell would say “at a job, “J.O.B.†not a career.†For a business owner it represents chasing one client at a time. It is a lack mentality. It is a hunting mentality. It is based on fear, I need what I need and I need it right now. The egg fulfils my current need; it does nothing for my future. Kill or be killed, you must lose for me to win. I can’t help you win because there is not enough for all of us. I don’t dare quit my job or I will starve. It creates animosity with the poor and those that are successful or rich. The thinking is I am tired of making my boss rich. I will only do what is expected of me and no more. It is a just enough to get by and no more attitude. It is not my job and I don’t get paid enough to do this.
But being like Jack and going after the goose is just the opposite. It is abundant thinking. The thoughts are we have more than enough for all. We don’t become greedy or fearful. We are at peace; we know our future is cared for. We store up treasures for the future. We are more than happy to help the company we work for succeed. We help others win. We are happy when others have a success story. As business owners we care more about our customers than the bottom line. We care more about our character than our reputation. We care about our employees and we help them succeed, even if that means they move on.
Pursuing the egg only is like a business just barely surviving one client at a time. It is equivalent to having a starter job, or a minimum wage job, or being on welfare, a low entry level job, pay check to pay check, hand to mouth. That all being said there is nothing wrong with a business just barely surviving one client at a time or having a starter job, or a minimum wage job, or being on welfare or a low entry level job. Just don’t stay there!
People criticize companies like Walmart or fast food chains for paying their employees minimum wage. I don’t. These are supposed to be starter jobs to train people to get into the work force. With the right work ethic and not having “an egg only†mentality a person can move up and get paid more. I am not saying if you’re not the head of a company you are a failure. I am saying whatever station you are in life have “an abundance mentality†go after the goose! Maybe your family situation dictates that you cannot accept a promotion and you still want to stay at your job. Great stay there and stay there with pride and have “an abundance mentality.†Maybe you are a stay at home parent, great have an abundance mentality. Go after the goose.
I love writing this book because I want to inspire you to have an abundance mentality. I will contrast the pursuit of pursuing just an egg and pursuing the golden goose that lays an abundance of eggs.
Again let me say. There is no judgment if you are on a starter job or if you have a company that is barely making it. You can be poor and barley making it and still have an abundance mentality, or you can be rich and on top of the world and have a poverty mentality. One aspect of abundance thinking is gratitude. Oprah says if you are thankful for the scraps you will receive more. Giving is the key to the abundant life. The attitude of giving is the start of abundance thinking. Having abundance is not just monetarily, but that is part of it. Abundance or being rich means having more than enough, more than enough money, more than enough health, and more than enough peace. Giving is a huge part of having an attitude of abundance. It is better to give than receive. “Whatsoever you shall give will be given back to you pressed down shaken together and running over shall men and women give to your bosom.†“God is more than enough; all our needs shall be met according to His riches and glory, riches are stored up for us†and the Apostol Paul said “all things are oursâ€
When you have the poverty mentality, that there is never enough or I am not lucky enough to enjoy wealth and prosperity, you think you better hold on to what you have. You won’t do any extra for your boss or customers. You become envious of your customers or the company you work for. You think they are taking advantage of you because while you are suffering you are making them rich. You do just enough to get by.
Abundance thinking could be called second mile thinking or going the extra mile. That kind of thinking causes you to be worth more than you’re getting paid for. You want to do more than is required. Back in ancient times it was said if someone asks you to walk a mile, walk two. Go the extra mile, think big, be bigger than your mistakes and go after your golden goose that will lay a bunch of golden eggs!