Mindset story: Always prepared and can sleep when the wind blows

Once upon a time, there was a hardworking farmer who owned land along a vast seacoast. His farm was beautiful, but it came with a great challenge—the fierce storms that often swept in from the ocean. These storms were unpredictable and could destroy crops, tear down fences, and even endanger animals in danger. Because of this, the farmer constantly needed help, but finding good farmhands was difficult. Most people feared the storms and refused to take the job, and those who did accept never stayed long. One day, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer and asked for work. The farmer, weary from searching, looked at the man doubtfully. “Are you a good farmhand?” he asked. The man nodded and replied, “I can sleep when the wind blows.” The farmer was puzzled by this strange answer. What did sleeping have to do with being a good worker? But he was desperate, so he hired the man.

To the farmer’s relief, the new hand worked tirelessly. From dawn to dusk, he mended fences, tended to the animals, and took care of the crops. He didn’t complain, and he didn’t waste time. The farmer began to relax, trusting that his farm was in good hands. Then, one fateful night, a terrible windstorm came roaring in from the ocean. The farmer was jolted awake by the deafening sound of the wind rattling his windows. Panic surged through him, was everything secure? Had the animals been taken care of? Had the fences been reinforced? He leaped out of bed, grabbed a lantern, and rushed to the hired hand’s quarters. Shaking the sleeping man, he shouted, “Get up! A storm is coming! We must tie things down before they are blown away!” But the man simply rolled over in his bed and calmly replied, “No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.” The farmer’s frustration boiled over. “What do you mean? You said you were prepared for anything! And now, when a storm is upon us, you refuse to get up? How can you be so careless?”

Without waiting for another word, the farmer stormed outside to try and save whatever he could. But what he saw stopped him in his tracks. The haystacks were already covered with strong tarpaulins. The cows were safely in the barn, the chickens were secured in their coops, and the barn doors were tightly barred. Every single shutter was locked, every piece of equipment tied down. Everything was safe. The farmer let out a deep breath of relief. Now, he understood. The hired hand’s words finally made sense. He could sleep when the wind blew because he had prepared for the storm long before it arrived. Feeling both humbled and grateful, the farmer walked back to the hired hand’s room. “I owe you an apology,” he said softly. “You were right. You are a good farmhand.” The man didn’t respond, he was already fast asleep. With a smile, the farmer returned to his own bed and, for the first time during a storm, he too was able to sleep while the wind blew.