The wealthiest man in the valley

This is a little change-up this week from my normal accounting, business, and marketing fare -- and I should also add that it is not necessarily prompted by any particular client conversations recently. (Though, goodness, we have been busy!)

But truly ... you should sit in my office with me sometime, watch the procession of "wealthy" and "poor" clients meeting with me and my staff over their tax and accounting situations -- and watch how their hearts are activated. Sometimes my "wealthiest" clients can be the most impoverished ... and those without many zeroes in their accounts can be flat-out rich.

"Rich" is a state-of-mind -- and it's tied to gratitude. It affects how you see savings, retirement, our current economy, and investment. And, of course, gratitude is the enemy of fear. It's like an opposite magnet for it -- walk in gratitude, and fear just melts away.

So, here's my advice for this week: Whatever financial situation you happen to find yourself in, be thankful. There are hidden blessings in any trial ... and hidden fears lying within any windfall. Find them, savor the blessings, and watch your business thrive.

Don't believe me? Then I offer you this apocryphal story of doubtful origins [:)] -- but which carries deep truth ...

Michael Kessler's
"Real World" Business Strategy Note
The Wealthiest Man In The Valley
"When you learn, teach; when you get, give." -Maya Angelou

A rich farmer liked to ride around his vast estate so he could enjoy his great wealth. One day, while riding his favorite horse, he saw Hans, an old tenant farmer, sitting under a tree.

Annoyed because Hans wasn't hard at work, he halted his horse and asked, "What are you doing there?"

Hans replied, "I was just thanking God for my meal." And the farmer saw Hans eating a modest lunch of rice and beans.

"If that was my lunch, I wouldn't be giving thanks for it," the farmer said.

"It's all I have," said Hans, "but it's all I need, so I give thanks."

The farmer was about to ride on when Hans called out to him. "I thought I should tell you that I had a dream this morning. A voice said to me, 'The richest man in the valley will die tonight.' I just thought you should know."

The farmer rode away, but Hans' words worried him. He was the richest man in the valley, wasn't he? So he called his doctor when he got back to his mansion. The doctor came out and looked him over, but found nothing wrong with him. The farmer went to bed, still worried, and slept fitfully.

When he woke the next morning he thought, "Well, there was nothing to that dream after all. Here I am, alive and well."

Then a servant knocked at his door. "What is it?" the farmer asked.

"It's about that old tenant farmer, Hans, sir," the servant said.

"What about it?"

"He died in his sleep last night, sir."

I would ask that you forward this article to a business associate or client you know who could benefit from our assistance--or simply send them our way. These particular articles usually relate to business strategy because, as you know, I'm a Profitability Consultant also specializing in tax preparation and planning for families and business owners. And we always make room for referrals from trusted sources like you.

Warmly (and until next week),

Michael Kessler
(516) 449-2852