The Parable of the Monk and the Tiger
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Hi Reader, Here’s a fun Zen story I came across in Henry Shukman’s meditation app The Way. An aspiring Zen master called Isan was told to found a monastery on a remote mountain. He hiked up the mountain, built a thatch hut, planted some veggies and lived off the land alone. He stayed there for seven years waiting for disciples to arrive. But, no one came. After seven years, Isan had enough. He packed up his belongings and walked down the mountain. But on his way to a nearby village, a tiger confronted Isan. The tiger grabbed Isan by his sleeve and dragged him back up the mountain. He took that as a sign from the natural world to persevere. Isan unpacked his belongings and went back into his thatch hut. The next morning, a wandering Zen monk arrived at Isan’s hut. “I’m looking for a Zen master to study with.” The next day, four monks arrived. The day after that, five monks arrived. And Isan’s monastery flourished. So why am I telling you this? It’s hard watching creators build big audiences and businesses almost overnight. They take to X sharing five-figure income months and big client wins. The rest of us are like Isan. Building anything meaningful takes time. More time than we’d like! I was writing online for a full year before I earned any money. And I earned my first $1,000 entirely by accident. (I wrote a review of Lynda.com–now LinkedIn learning–and earned some affiliate commissions.) It took me another year or two to turn that into five-figure months. Even today, I’m pivoting my content business from a publishing model to coaching and consulting. It won’t take me as long this time around. I’ve transferable skills as I’ve spent over ten years creating online. I’ve stopped chasing the dopamine rush of likes, shares and going viral, like many new creators. Vanity metrics are the opposite of sustainable business and a sure case for an intervention by a tiger. I’d rather build a quietly profitable business, with a select few clients. A small but mighty client base who wants to do the same. It won’t take seven years, but you will need patience. If that sounds like you, reply “TIGER” to this email. I've got a few spots open. Write on,
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