The Midas Touch

 

The Midas Touch: an excerpt from my book Making Visions Happen

At one point in time, many a visionary had wished they had the Midas touch. That everything they touch turns to gold and their visions, out of the blues, becomes a reality.

  There’s no gain in saying the Midas touch is a visionary’s attempt to erect a Skyscraper without the necessary earth-drenching foundation; to be on the top of the ladder without stepping through the rungs.

According to Greek folklore, Midas was a king who lived in Phrygia 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.

A plethora of visions have turned into desert mirage simply because the visionaries were bent on cutting corners to the top. For instance, many want to become Serena Williams without passing the rudiments of a tennis court. Some see themselves on the moon already like Neil Armstrong, forgetting that he practiced day and night, under stringent conditions, underwater simulation to orient his senses on motionlessness on space. The idea of becoming a Roman catholic Pope without first being a Priest is the craving for novae visionary’s this is a myth like the hand of Midas. It is counter-intuitive; and tantamount to putting the cart before the horse. Any attempt to build your vision without the necessary patience, consistency, good management practices, commitment and ingenuity will render your vision into a huge heap of rubble.