Mindset story: The lazy monk who wondered why he never got rich

Some time ago, in a quiet village, there lived a monk who was extremely lazy. Unfortunately for him, he was also very poor. Despite his circumstances, he often spoke of his grand dreams of becoming rich. He imagined a life of luxury, wealth, and success, but he was never willing to work for it. Every day, he wandered the village, talking to strangers about his ambitious plans. Whenever someone asked how he would achieve them, he would eagerly explain his many ideas, each more elaborate than the last, but he never took any action. Days passed with the monk begging for food and money, spending all his time lamenting his misfortune rather than doing anything to change it. One day, a kind stranger, after listening to the monk’s endless stories of dreams and missed opportunities, decided to give him a pot of milk. The monk was delighted, seeing it as a golden opportunity. He carried the pot home with great excitement, determined to turn the milk into curd. For the first time in a long while, he put effort into something. He carefully set up the milk to ferment and, satisfied with his “hard work,” lay down to rest. As he lay there, his thoughts drifted into a daydream. He envisioned his journey to success, starting with the very pot of milk before him.

“By morning, the milk will turn into curd. I will churn it into butter, then heat the butter to make ghee. I will sell the ghee in the market and earn money. With that money, I will buy a hen. The hen will lay eggs, and from those eggs, I will have many little chicks. They will grow into chickens, and soon, I will own a large poultry farm. I will sell the chickens and use the profit to buy cows and start a dairy business. The entire town will buy milk from me, and I will become very rich.” His excitement grew as the dream continued to unfold in his mind. “With my wealth, I will open a jewelry shop. The king and the nobility will buy jewels from me. I will be so successful that I will marry a beautiful girl from a wealthy family. Soon, we will have a handsome son, and I will teach him how to be successful, just like me.” A proud smile formed on his face as he imagined his perfect life. But then, another thought entered his mind. “What if my son misbehaves? If he disrespects me, I will have to discipline him. I will teach him a lesson so that he grows up to be a respectable man.” His emotions intensified as he imagined the scenario. Caught up in the moment, he reached for a stick lying next to him and, in his imagination, began punishing his son for his mischief.

Lost in his fantasy, he swung the stick wildly, until suddenly, with a loud crash, he struck the pot of milk. It shattered instantly, spilling every last drop onto the floor. The monk sat frozen, staring at the mess. His dreams of wealth had disappeared in an instant, and he was left with nothing, no milk, no curd, no butter, and certainly no fortune. He had let his daydreams distract him so completely that he had lost the very thing that could have been his first real step toward success. Sitting in his now dirty kitchen, stomach empty and head filled with regret, the monk sighed, “If only…” But “if only” could not change the past. And as he cleaned up the mess, he finally realized that dreams alone would not bring him success, only real action could.