There were two brothers who lived in a city near the coast. When their father, a successful sea merchant, fell severely ill, he told the two brothers that he intended to divide his estate equally between them.
“There will be plenty to get you started on your own professional journeys,” he said. “But you will have to work hard in order to make your dreams a reality.”
Their father died several months later and, as he had promised, his two sons inherited equal portions of his estate.
The older brother, who was more naturally aggressive and impatient, immediately invested in property for a store and warehouse. He was certain that, with his natural charm and wit, he could use these properties to grow a new business quickly and sell it at great profit.
Meanwhile, the younger brother spent several months planning methodically. He developed ideas for different businesses, discussed them with his friends and other people in the community, and examined the successes and failures of other businesses based on similar ideas.
After half a year had passed, the older brother had made tremendous progress. He had worked around the clock to get his store off the ground and to stock his warehouse with the appropriate goods. He also had the good fortune to open his store just as additional trade routes had been established and, as a result, an influx of new people began arriving.
The younger brother was equally pleased with his progress, although he still lacked anything tangible to show for his efforts. Through careful planning, he had arrived at a business idea that he knew would be successful. Perhaps more important, it was an idea that was designed to weather the societal and economic storms that would inevitably appear.
One morning, after a night out celebrating his success with friends, the older brother stopped by his younger brother’s small office to offer a challenge.
