The story goes, a traveler was on his way from the city to a mountaintop village and stopped at a waystation for some refreshment.
“Where are you headed?” asked the waystation attendant.
“To the mountaintop village because the market is saturated in the city and I need to make a living,” the traveler replied. “By the way, how is the market on the mountaintop?” inquired the traveler.
After a moment of contemplation, the attendant replied, “about the same as in the city.”
Puzzled, the traveler continued to the mountaintop village.
A few moments later another traveler stopped at the waystation for some refreshment.
“Where are you headed?” asked the waystation attendant.
“To the city because the market is saturated on the mountaintop and I need to make a living,” the traveler replied. “By the way, how is the market in the city?” inquired the traveler.
After a moment of contemplation, the attendant replied, “about the same as at the mountaintop.”
Puzzled, the traveler continued to the city.
The inquiry: How do you see the market as it relates to your opportunity? Like the traveler or the waystation attendant? It’s all too easy to be the traveler, constantly in pursuit of better external conditions to improve our opportunities. Who amongst us hasn’t been a traveler? Yet, the waystation attendant offers us wisdom from the point of view of seeing so many travelers and helps us consider another reality: our opportunity isn’t tied to the market at all.
