A father sat down for a chat with his teenage son. He had a pad of paper and a pen with him while his son watched interest, the father drew a goose and eggs. He said to his son ” those are the golden eggs and that’s the goose that lays the golden eggs”. Now if you had your choice of investing in one of the other ones which would you buy?
The son said, “I would buy the goose of course”. Of course, you would buy the gooses, father said, you invest your money in the goose because it could go on laying that golden eggs for years. Sure his son said, anyone would!
Then he said anyone would buy the goose if they were presented in this way, but the fact of the matter is that most people have the exact opportunity and yet they invest in eggs instead of the goose. The son asked the father what he meant?.
The father said in this little quiz I’ve given you, the goose and the golden eggs are symbolic, the golden eggs, people invest in, are represented by their homes, cars, television sets, furniture, refrigerators, stoves, boats, vacations all the good things that can buy, all the good things everyone wants to have and should have.
Well, what’s wrong with that! The boy asked? Well, there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just that most of them invest in golden eggs exclusively and don’t invest enough in the goose that provides all these golden eggs. You see the goose that lays golden eggs is the breadwinner the more money invested in him the more golden eggs he can provide.
Take you for example son, you are in teenage-like most boys your age you don’t know what you want to do with your life yet, you’re confused, you haven’t been really giving your best to your schoolwork because you’re not sure you need a lot of subjects you’re studying after you get out of the school.
And not knowing what to do after you’re an adult you don’t know what you’d want to major in college. Now what I want you to understand is as long as you’re getting an education you’re investing, we’re both investing in this goose the more we invest here the more golden eggs you’ll be able to provide for yourself and your family someday.
And if you’re really smart you will never stop investing in the goose even after college. Each year you’ll invest a percentage of your income in your continuing education and each year you’ll find that you’re becoming more valuable as a person. Able to provide still more and more of these golden eggs you and your family want.
Do you understand that boy?.
The boy sat there for some time and said “I think I do Dad, I think I do”. The boy looked at the illustration once again for a long time and he picked it up folded it put it in his pocket and went off to do his homework. This approach to life and work is thought to the world by the dean of personal development Earl Nightingale. Highly recommend reading his book “Lead the Field”.
Here’s the most important point for you: GOOSE OR THE GOLDEN EGGS?
