The Midas Touch 2

 

According to Greek folklore, Midas was a king who lived in Phrygia, a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia (now in modern-day Turkey), in the eight century B. C. He was very rich in servants, cattle and had more gold than any other king in his day. His gold was stored up in huge vaults underneath his palace; and he spent disproportionate amount of hours each waking morning counting his amassed gold coins and bars.

But no matter how much gold Midas amassed and added to his collection of treasuries, it wasn’t enough. Like Oliver Twist, he always craves for more gold, and he spent much of his leisure hours brainstorming on how to aggrandize more yellow coins and bars.

One day, so the story goes, a being robed in white appeared to Midas and granted his long heart desire. Midas without hesitation wished for the ‘golden touch,’ that everything he touched would turn to gold.

The next morning as he awoken, to his surprise, the very sheet on which he lay had turned to finely spun gold. He then touched the bedpost and it turned to a pure yellow post. In astonishment he yelled: “I have the golden touch!”

Midas made a dash out of his bedroom and began touching every visible item along the way, all of which turned to gold instantly.

Out in the garden, he went from bush to bush, touching roses and other flowers, smiling as they turned to gold.

But Midas made the ultimate mistake in his craving for more gold when he, in great glee, embraced his only child who came running to rejoice with him; she instantly, before his very eyes, turned into a heap of pure gold dust.

And like the proverbial expression, “Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed.” Midas mirth, at his own touch, turned to mourn.

Granted, in today’s world, young people venture into entrepreneurship, engage in new jobs or skills; each of them with an optimistic mindset of getting to the top of their game in no distant time. But the pessimistic reality is that a plethora of them may give up when the rungs to the top of the ladder appears to be drudgery.

However, only a small number of these young people who savour and appreciate the joy of starting small; and who take every step necessary to arrive at their envisioned destination will reach the top rungs of the ladder because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which lead to the top, and few there be that find it. To be among these few, all that is required is an attitude to appreciate little beginning.

David J. Schwartz in his marvellous book, “The Magic of Thinking Big,” narrated the story of a young woman who decided to venture into selling mobile homes. All evidence was stacked against her goal. She was advised by experts that she shouldn’t and couldn’t do it after-all she had less than the minimum capital investment to pull the string.

 This young lady had belief in herself and her ability to succeed. She quickly admitted that she lacked capital, that the business was very competitive, and that she lacked experience.

But her resolve to venture into selling mobile homes was way more than the evidence to make her relent. She said, “I expect to make some mistakes, but I’m going to be on top...” In little distant time she sold over US$1,000,000 worth of mobile homes.

Like a mother hen brooding over her eggs, the aim is not to get them warm, but to turn them into chicks visions requires patience and persistency. Normally it takes 21 days for chicken eggs to hatch whether by natural process or artificial incubation. Now what if the mother hen decided to stop brooding over her eggs after the first five days? What if she decided to stop after the nineteenth day? All her prior effort would’ve been watered down the drain.  She must keep brooding for minimum of 21 days and, in the extreme, maximum of 25 days in order to achieve her goal.

Your vision may require more than 21 days to become fully matured, but one thing is sure, when you are persistent and consistent at it, the sky is your starting point not your limit.

Unlike king Midas of Phrygia: be careful what you wish for. Don’t be in a haste to get to the top rungs, rather imbibe an attitude to start small, slowly but surely. Persistency is ultimate.