A Grandpa’s short tale

Once upon a time,

A young man once sought advice from his wise and successful grandfather, asking,

"How can I achieve success like you have sir?"

The grandfather pondered for a little bit, sitting in his rocking chair and stroking his neatly trimmed white beard, as he looked out the window at the vast and serene landscape behind his home.

Finally, he spoke, "Let me share a story with you. Listen carefully."

“There was once a young man your age who came from a family of basket weavers. The business was slow, and while the money was not bad, he desired success beyond their traditional trade. Recognizing the decline in his family's income, he set out to secure a prosperous future for himself and his parents.

Wandering from big cities to small villages, town to town, he took up odd jobs, learning diverse cultures and ways of life. From farming to bricklaying, cloth-selling to cobbling shoes, and fishing to blacksmithing, he accumulated knowledge and skills across various towns and cities over the years

"Realizing he had enough knowledge to start a successful business, he returned to a small town he once visited with the most kind and hardworking people he had ever known. Before starting his business, he took one last job – beekeeping –to take time to think deeply about his venture and explore opportunities

He took up beekeeping because it allowed a lot of time on his hands and was a simple, enjoyable endeavor. However, as he delved into the world of bees, he found their intricate social structure and the crucial role they played in cross-pollination, contributing to the production of many of the foods humans enjoyed. He realized that not only do the bees work most of their whole life collecting nectar from flowers for honey to keep the colony alive, but the way they go about it was necessary for other plants to grow.

And also, found out that there were different types of bees and they all had different tasks in the colony. Such as the queen and drones for reproduction and ensuring the colony's survival, while the workers carried out various tasks diligently, including foraging and maintaining the hive. It was mind-blowing. So, he took one lesson from the bees by being a bee to the people of this town, adding value to them in many ways. He helped them better their processes, from how to get better produce from their farms, creating and repairing their tools, helping them sell their goods to other towns with his knowledge, to teaching them how to preserve their foods. He was nicknamed “Oga”, meaning Master, by the townspeople for his wide experience.

He became a valuable figure in the marketplace and caught the attention of the king, who invited him to the palace. Sharing his own experiences, the young man listened to the king's vision of making the town prosperous.

Grateful for his contribution, the king asked him to make a request and promised to grant him the request. He replied to the King: “Can I shadow you? I am curious about how you lead your subjects”. The king was perplexed at the request but agreed and made him a Special aide. He shadowed the king for three years and contributed to the palace and the town in ways he could. He helped the king navigate his wily political enemies in and out of the palace.

Finally, he decides it is time to start his business, a transport business as he sees that the town is geographically advantaged as it is the only town that has three long rivers connected to it enabling a water transporting business that had not been done before on a large scale.

He informs the king of the next step in his journey and the King blesses him and gives him a decree to use the town's resources as long as he pays them back in value and profit. The young man, who was not so young anymore, was delighted.?

Afterward, he built a huge boat and began the transportation of goods to other towns he had become familiar with. Over the passing years, he not only acquired more boats but also expanded his team, attracting a growing number of individuals. This marked the beginning of his ambitious venture to establish the most extensive transportation business ever known.

Years later, he returned home to inform his parents that he had made something of himself only to find out that his parents had passed away. He was extremely sad for not coming back home sooner and He regretted it deeply. Nonetheless, he pays homage to their graves, builds a monument in their name, and goes back to running his business. A few years later, he settled down with a woman and bore children, and those children bore children.

I was that young man!

For you to be as successful as I am, learn from my journey. But most importantly, remember to:

Always Think like a King, Work like a bee, stay as curious as a wanderer.

And don’t forget that those you call "family" are a priority. Never neglect them.

You need to wander, to find your passion, to find opportunities, to embrace change, to build creativity, and to help you understand how you can add value.

You need to work diligently,?collaborate with others, and work as a team like the bee does.

You need to think with vision and serve others like a king who leads his nation.

These lessons will guide you on your path to success, if and only if your definition of success is the same as mine.?

So ask yourself, “What is your definition of success?” He says as he points to his Grandson’s heart.