| How To Make A Fortuneby: Shifra Hendrie | | | | somewhere else. |
| YOU CAN NEVER GET ENOUGH OF WHAT YOU | | | | THE PRINCE ANDTHE CHICKEN FAT |
| DON'T REALLY WANT | | | | Here's a little kabbalistic story for |
| Life keeps getting faster and faster. | | | | you. |
| More and more, we spend our time trying | | | | Once, a king sent his only son, a |
| to make things happen, fitting more into | | | | handsome prince, to make his fortune in |
| each minute than ever before. But | | | | a country far across the sea. In that |
| somehow, we are neither satisfied nor | | | | country, it was said, gold and jewels |
| fulfilled. Why? Because the things we're | | | | were so abundant that they were lying in |
| running after so fervently are in most | | | | the streets. |
| cases not the things we really want. | | | | The prince was excited by the |
| And, if what you go after is not what | | | | opportunity. Although his ship took |
| you really, truly want, it will never | | | | several months to make the long journey, |
| satisfy you. You will always be left | | | | at last he arrived at the far-away |
| wanting more. | | | | country. As soon as he set foot on shore |
| In fact, you can never get enough of | | | | he saw that all the rumors were true - |
| what you don't really want. | | | | the ground was literally covered with |
| COOKIES VERSUS APPLES | | | | precious stones and gold. Quickly he |
| Here's an example: When you crave | | | | picked up a handful and put them in his |
| cookies and eat one, more often than not | | | | pocket. |
| your craving won't be satisfied. In | | | | Armed with his newfound riches, the |
| fact, sometimes eating one cookie | | | | prince entered a shop filled with |
| actually makes your craving stronger. | | | | delicacies. He picked out some delicious |
| In contrast, when you crave a juicy red | | | | foods and went to the counter to pay. To |
| apple and eat it you almost never need | | | | his shock and dismay, when he held out a |
| to eat another one. The first apple hits | | | | large diamond to the shopkeeper, the man |
| the spot. | | | | looked at him as if he was crazy. "What |
| That's because what draws you to the | | | | are you trying to give me?" he asked |
| apple is a craving for things that | | | | angrily. "A worthless stone! If you want |
| actually can be found in an apple. | | | | to buy something here, you'll need to do |
| Things like vitamins, fiber and healthy | | | | better than that! You'll need to bring |
| sweet energy - the very things that are | | | | in some chicken fat! That's the only |
| abundant in a fresh, juicy fruit. | | | | currency we accept here." |
| But, in many cases, the craving that | | | | "Well," thought the resilient prince, |
| draws you to a cookie can't be satisfied | | | | getting over his shock, "A person has to |
| by a cookie. Or even more than one. | | | | live. I'll just have to get hold of |
| There's nothing much that your body | | | | enough chicken fat to keep me going |
| wants in a cookie. So when you crave | | | | while I'm here. Once I'm established, I |
| that cookie it's probably not really a | | | | can easily go out and collect a fortune |
| physical craving. What you want is more | | | | of gold and jewels." Being rather |
| likely a "soul food'; i.e. something | | | | clever, he managed to somehow acquire a |
| emotional or even spiritual. You might, | | | | few starter chickens, selling their fat |
| for example, be craving the experience | | | | at a good profit. He reinvested and over |
| of sweetness, goodness, pleasure, | | | | the course of several years amassed a |
| connection, abundance, a sense of | | | | great store of chicken fat. He was able |
| security or comfort. | | | | to afford a lovely big house, servants |
| If you associate cookies with those | | | | and expensive furniture. |
| feelings you'll keep going for the | | | | The prince stayed on for twenty years - |
| cookies. But unfortunately, no matter | | | | until he had accumulated the largest |
| how many cookies you eat, your craving | | | | stock of chicken fat in the entire |
| will never be satisfied | | | | country. He was tremendously pleased |
| In fact, rather than making you | | | | with his success. Finally, he decided |
| satisfied and fulfilled, most of the | | | | that it was time to go home, but he was |
| time giving yourself a lot of what you | | | | so proud and excited about his success |
| don't really want does the very opposite | | | | in buying and selling chicken fat that |
| - it makes your craving even bigger. | | | | he forgot all about the gold and jewels |
| This is true whether we're talking about | | | | he came for. |
| cookies, booze, money, 'toys', a bigger | | | | So, at the end of the twentieth year, he |
| house, or a more exciting relationship. | | | | loaded up his ship with his hard-earned |
| That's why, sometimes, the people who | | | | chicken fat and set sail. |
| have the biggest share of the things we | | | | When the prince at last arrived at the |
| are all striving for - things like | | | | palace, he watched proudly as his |
| money, success and adulation - end up on | | | | servants unloaded the treasure at the |
| drugs. | | | | feet of the king. But his father's |
| That's because money, success and | | | | expression caused his heart to drop. |
| adulation are not what they really want. | | | | "Chicken fat!" declared His Majesty in |
| They really want the happiness, pride, | | | | dismay. "Twenty years of working to make |
| love, connection, purpose, beauty, | | | | your fortune and all you could bring |
| fulfillment and appreciation that they | | | | home is chicken fat!!" |
| associate with those things. | | | | Suddenly the prince remembered why he |
| There's nothing wrong with fame and | | | | had traveled to that distant country in |
| fortune - like there's nothing wrong | | | | the first place. Frantically, he |
| with cookies - as long as you aren't | | | | searched the pockets of his clothing - |
| using those things to satisfy a craving | | | | but all he could find was the handful of |
| for something else. | | | | treasure that he had picked up from the |
| CRAVINGS AND ADDICTION | | | | street on the very first day. |
| In fact, this is one definition of | | | | CHICKEN FAT AND YOU |
| addiction - the insatiable need to | | | | Like our prince, most of us have gotten |
| satisfy a deeply rooted craving with | | | | very, very busy collecting chicken fat. |
| something that simply can't satisfy it. | | | | True, if you do manage to cleverly |
| When your craving for something is | | | | invest, as he did, you might acquire a |
| healthy, indulging that craving will not | | | | lovely home, beautiful furniture and |
| only satisfy you, it will allow you to | | | | maybe even servants. But those things, |
| be more present in your life. Enjoying a | | | | desirable as they may be, are only a |
| gourmet meal, an evening by the beach, a | | | | means to an end. If you can't remember |
| passionate connection with another | | | | why you are here, you'll never be able |
| person, or a glass of good wine can all | | | | to get what you really came for. |
| enhance your sense of joy and aliveness. | | | | HOW TO ACCUMULATE A TREASURE |
| But when your craving is unhealthy or | | | | If, on the other hand, you want to |
| addictive, the opposite is true. Rather | | | | accumulate a real treasure, this is what |
| than bringing you into the present, | | | | you should do. |
| indulging the craving will distract and | | | | First of all, stop whatever you're doing |
| dull you. | | | | right now and ask yourself why you're |
| And when you can't indulge the craving - | | | | doing it in the first place. |
| if, for example, you fail to achieve the | | | | Ask yourself what it is, deep down |
| level of material success you think you | | | | inside, that you really want. What, at |
| need - it will disappoint and frustrate | | | | the end of the day, will give you |
| you too. | | | | genuine and long-lasting satisfaction |
| HITTING THE SPOT | | | | and pride? What is it that you're |
| Imagine living a life where everything | | | | putting off until after you 'make it'? |
| you crave - everything you do - actually | | | | And no less important, what special |
| hits the spot, leaving you present, | | | | person is waiting for your time, your |
| alive, satisfied and fulfilled. What | | | | smile, your listening ear? |
| could be more desirable than that? | | | | Stop waiting for the end of the day. You |
| The trick is, in order to know what it | | | | can do something right now, this minute, |
| will take to hit that spot, you have to | | | | in order to create true joy, |
| know exactly where the spot is. Or in | | | | satisfaction and meaning in your life or |
| other words, you have to know what you | | | | the life of someone you love. To fulfill |
| really want. Deep down inside, in the | | | | the deep-rooted cravings of your soul. |
| core of who you are. | | | | All you have to do is recognize the |
| Do you want peace of mind? If you are | | | | opportunity for the treasure it is. |
| looking for it in a cookie, a new car or | | | | You don't have to stop collecting |
| a greater level of material success, you | | | | chicken fat. That's not the point. But |
| probably won't find it. | | | | don't forget to pick up the gold and |
| Does that mean that you shouldn't strive | | | | jewels that are lying all around you, |
| for or enjoy those things? Not at all. | | | | unnoticed and unappreciated. |
| It just means that you shouldn't look to | | | | That's where the real fortune lies. |
| satisfy your deep-rooted craving for | | | | © 2005 Shifra Hendrie, |
| peace of mind in the car dealership. | | | | *Since the Torah forbids the erasing of |
| They only sell cars. | | | | G-d's name, it's customary to avoid |
| For peace of mind you have to shop | | | | writing it out in full. |