Waiting For Success to Strike? Try Making That All-Important First Move Instead
It’s easy to get caught up in wishful thinking, but it’s taking action that moves you forward
By Larry Robertson
There’s an old fable about what it takes to actually realize success — one worthy of knowing, especially in these increasingly uncertain times. It’s known as the fable of the buried treasure, and it’s a brilliant lesson in why taking action is better than wishing for a reward to land in your lap.
The buried treasure fable has a few different versions out there, but the one I’ve heard goes like this: A grandfather is worried about his grandson who while smart, most often seeks the easy path. The boy spends his days dreaming of success arrived at by magic or miracle, until one day his grandfather lets slip that there’s a fortune in gold buried in a hardscrabble field near the grandfather’s house. Where it might be buried is hard to gauge. The field is strewn with debris and long uncared for by anyone. But the promise of gold causes the boy to set about clearing it.
After the grandson clears it, and with no immediate sign of treasure, his grandfather suggests he take a further step and plow the field to see what that might turn up. When the field is fully plowed…
