A Parable: Creating a Stream
Adapted from an audio segment by
Robert Kiyosaki, best selling author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”
A Spring Runs Dry
The story is told of a spring that ran dry in a small mountain village. The leaders gathered to determine how they would supply the village with clean water. There was another spring and reservoir about a mile away but was too far for the villagers to travel.
One of the men volunteered to solve the problem by carrying water into the village himself each morning for a set fee. Since the need for water was clear, the leaders agreed to the offer and determined a fair price for each bucket of water delivered.
Early the next morning the “bucket carrier” arose and began transporting water. It was hard work but he was pleased with the immediate pay for his efforts. He awoke each day and hurriedly carried water.
The more he delivered, the higher the pay.
As time went on, he began to think there had to be a better way. So,he designed buckets that could hold more water and were easier to carry. He bought better shoes and discovered a quicker route between the reservoir and the village.
The problem was, despite all his improvements, the bucket carrier still had to get up each day to carry water.
A Better Solution?
Some time later, another villager came forward with an offer to supply water. He planned to build a pipeline from the reservoir to the village.
The leaders were skeptical but eventually agreed to the competing plan, especially since the new proposal would cost the villagers less for the same amount of water.
So, while the bucket carrier continued his daily routine, the second man began work on the pipeline.
The digging was tedious through the treacherous mountain terrain. The necessary tools and materials proved costly but he continued his work diligently for many months.
Finally, the “pipeline builder” installed the last piece of pipe and ceremoniously opened the valve while a crowd gathered. Everyone cheered as they watched clean water flow into the village cistern.
How Things Changed!
The following day the two men’s worlds changed dramatically.
The bucket carrier had to lower his prices significantly to remain competitive. He worked harder and yet found himself worrying about losing his job.
The pipeline builder, however, began enjoying the fruit of his labor. He stopped working long days and began enjoying the income his venture generated. He found the pipeline required minimal maintenance, so he was free to spend his days fishing the mountain streams and enjoying time with his kids.
Years Later
Many years later, after both men had died, the pipeline was still an integral part of village life and the pipeline builder’s children continued to enjoy the benefits of a father’s entrepreneurial spirit.
Observations…
| Bucket Carrier | Pipeline Builder |
| Description | Employee – Has a job | Entrepreneur -
Owns a system |
| Income Type | Linear Income | Ongoing Income |
| Effort | Constant | Intensive early with
minimal later |
| Implications | Time Poverty | Time Freedom |
| Reward | Immediate gratification (paycheck) | Delayed Gratification (fees for service or royalties) |
| Examples | Construction worker, Doctor, Secretary, Lawyer, etc. | Author, Inventor, Artist, Musician, Business Owner, Entrepreneur, etc. (Real Estate Investor) |
Consider building a pipeline…
It doesn’t matter how efficient you are at “carrying water” (your job). Nor does it matter the size of your paycheck. Going to work tomorrow, next week and ten years from now will still be the prerequisite to collecting a paycheck.
