Pretend that you are a gardener.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

If all you care about is grabbing the fruits as quickly as possible, you’ll be tempted to strip the branches bare, ignoring the soil beneath. For a little while, you might feel successful. But soon enough, the plants weaken, the soil dries out, and no new fruit appears.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

---‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

But if you focus on the health of the garden - preparing the soil, planting carefully, giving attention to growth - something different happens. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

The garden becomes sustainable. The plants thrive. And the fruits appear naturally, almost without you chasing them.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

---‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Here’s the big reveal: those fruits are money.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Too often, people see money as the end goal: something to chase, collect, or hoard. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

But fruits aren’t meant to be chased. They’re meant to be eaten, shared, and enjoyed.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Money is the same. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

It’s not about piling it up just to have more. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

It’s about what you do with it - the nourishment, the experiences, the impact it brings.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

---‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

When you treat your business like a garden, you stop obsessing over “how much fruit is on the tree” and start asking:‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

• Is the soil healthy?‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍
• Am I nurturing growth?‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍
• Am I creating value?‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

---‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

And when you do that, you’ll discover two things: ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

1. The fruits (money) will always come. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

2. The real joy wasn’t in collecting them, it was in the process of tending the garden.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

---‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

Because in the end, money is not the purpose. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

It’s the outcome. ‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍

And the true purpose is how you use it.‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‍