A Parable - The Secret to Success and Failure
July 5, 2008 T.M.'s Blurbs No CommentsOne day, there was a man named Tom. Now, Tom was an internet marketer just like many other people were. Frustrated, fed up, and most of all…BROKE.
Everything he tried wasn’t working. His paypal accounts were low, his merchant accounts weren’t making him squat, and he was barely getting any website traffic to his websites and links.
Let’s just say…he was about to call it quits. As a matter of fact, he ended up screaming out “I QUIT THIS CRAP! IT’S ALL A SCAM! IT’S BUILT TO BASICALLY ROB THE POOR TO KEEP THE RICH MAN RICHER!”
As soon as he screamed this…an mysterious figure appeared before him, and said…”Why are you about to quit? You have many talents that you need to share with others.”
Tom said, “Who cares? Those talents are doing absolutely NOTHING for me and my family right now! I’d sell my soul to learn the secret to success online.”
The figure said, “There’s no need to sell your soul, you weak man! Just follow me…”
So, Tom and the mysterious figure went to two doors. The figure said “Tom, behind these doors lies the secrets to success and failure in life. If you’re serious about learning success, please watch carefully.”
Tom, ever being so anxious to learn how to finally succeed shouted, “I’m ready man! Show me the way!”
So, the mysterious figure opens up door #1. Behind this door is a huge round table with many diners sitting side by side. In the middle of the table lies a pot of soup that says “Pot of Success”. Each of the diners is strapped to a chair and cannot leave the seat of the chair whatsoever. Strapped to their arms is a long stick, with a spoon attached to the end of the stick.
The long spoons are attached to their arms, because the pot of soup is outside of their normal reach. So, they’re able to use the spoon-like apparatus to get soup from the “Pot of Success”. But since the spoon on a stick is too long, they’re not able to get the food into their own mouths.
These diners are trying desperately to get the soup on these spoons into their own mouths…and they just can’t. They look so sad, sorrowful, and so malnourished, because they’re not able to eat because of their situation.
The mysterious figure says to Tom, “My friend…this is FAILURE.” Tom looks like he’s about to cry because the diners look like they’re starving to death, and it shows. So, the figure tells Tom, “Come with me to the next door.”
So, the mysterious figure opens up door #2. Same situation…many diners strapped to chairs, with a long stick strapped to their arms with a spoon at the end of the stick. Same soup inside the same “Pot of Success”. But in this scenario, the diners are pleasantly plump, joyful and happy, just laughing and carrying on from their chairs.
Tom stands there and looks bewildered. He says to the mysterious figure, “I’m so confused. How can this be? These diners are so happy compared to the ones in the other room. They look well fed, well nourished, and happy…yet, they’re in the same situation as the ones in the failure room. What’s the difference?”
The mysterious figure says to Tom, “The difference doesn’t lie in the situation, but the people in the situation. In the room of failure, everyone was only trying to feed themselves. They were greedily thinking only of themselves and their own nourishment…thinking of their own stomachs.
“But in this room, the room of success, everyone has figured out that because of their situation, they can’t succeed alone. So, they’ve decided to feed each other with their long spoons, instead of trying to feed themselves (since they weren’t able to do it). Therefore, in the end, they all thought about each other, and fed one another, so that no one went hungry.”
“That, Tom…is the secret to success. Success can’t be achieved alone, no matter what you think or believe. Every self-made millionaire didn’t do it by himself. They work with others and take care of one another, and exchange their talents and ideas with one another, so that everyone prospers from a unified effort.”
With those words…Tom woke up from his dream, started working with other people, and started doing things in a cooperative effort with them. His business soared like never before, and all he had to do was to stop thinking of himself.”
The moral of the story is:
Stop being greedy and only thinking of your own profit. When you think of others, and work with them, ALL of you will succeed from a cooperative effort, rather than a singular effort.
Enjoy yourself,
T.M. Harris








