The instructions are simple, basic, and have been around for millennia.
Every so often they are repackaged for a new generation. One of the best in modern times is The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason.
More recently they have been wrapped up in the latest pop-spiritual and New Age trends.
But regardless of how they are presented, they work — because they are simple, basic principles. No secret laws or other nonsense. They’re almost common sense, really.
You see, the hard part isn’t growing a money tree. The hard part is getting it to bear fruit.
It All Starts With a Seed
To grow something, you typically start with a seed. A money tree is no different.
The seed in this case is an abundance seed — let’s say a $50 bill. You stick it in a jar — either a real glass jar or a virtual jar, in the form of an account.
You then provide it with the essentials it needs to grow. Instead of sunlight, water, and nutrients, you give it regular “waterings” of another $50. Let’s say weekly.
Now you’re thinking, “Well duh, that’s just saving money.” You’re right, that’s the basics of growing a money tree — but that’s not how you get it to bear fruit.
Eventually you’ll have a good-sized tree, but in order to get a bunch of fruit in the shortest period of time, you have to cultivate your money tree.
That’s the hard part.
Getting Your Hands Dirty
When it comes to cultivating your money tree you have two choices. You can hire a professional gardener, or do it yourself. The majority, those who have the means to get a money tree to grow to a sapling, turn it over to a professional money gardener.
This is the standard way of thinking. They cultivate your tree for you, using their own products which they are paid to use, and take a percentage of the fruit that the tree produces.
This works well for most people, because they don’t like to get their hands dirty.
I’m not talking to those folks.
See, some of us are just wired to tend to our own trees. We don’t like the idea of giving away some of our fruit (unless it’s for those who have no fruit of their own).
We wonder why a money gardener, with an orchard full of other people’s trees, would really care if our tree produced the most fruit.
No, those that choose to develop their own money trees know that they can get a tree growing, give it a lot of care, and make it produce an abundance of fruit. Occasionally a tree will die, but we are able to take the seeds of that tree and produce another.
The ones that grow tall, and produce tons of fruit, also produce tons of seeds. Seeds that can be used to grow more money trees.
Then, once you have an orchard all your own, you can hire a few professional money gardeners to tend some of them, to save you time.
As entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, and creative, independent thinkers, we prefer to cultivate our own trees. The tree will live or die because of our effort, not at the whim of another.
Are you ready to get your hands dirty?
Brilliant article Tony.
I’m at a point where I’m beginning to plant my money tree seed, and knowing what to do next is vital to successful picking of money from the tree in the future.
Thank you.
I still have to dig the hole (or is that dig myself out of the hole?) before I get to the seedling part.
No, there is a scrawny seedling standing in the corner, but it gets pruned so often it hardly gets to make any leaves, saying nothing about fruit.
I love your analogies, Tony. Thanks.
Your statement, “We wonder why a money gardener, with an orchard full of other people’s trees, would really care if our tree produced the most fruit.” This really caught my eye. You’ve got to wonder do they have your best interests at heart or are you just part of the herd?
Consider my hands filthy, Tony. At least I think they are…
Tanner – The work does pay off. The fact that it’s fun is a bonus.
Gerhi – Priming the ground and digging that first hole is the hardest part. Most people never get past the dreaming phase.
Jean – Storytelling is the ultimate way to make a point 🙂
Richard – I’m generalizing, of course, but I wonder the same thing. And actually I’ve known a lot of money gardeners who really were more interested in their own products and trees than those they were responsible for tending.
Ben – Yeah, I’d definitely say you are. Plus you get points for doing it with a new baby. I’ve been there 🙂
Great article Tony. Some professional gardener’s spend so much of their time telling everyone who will listen what fantastic gardeners they are that they forget they were meant to be growing and tending to your tree. If you want to grow a healthy tree sometimes you have to do it yourself. As you say “get your hands dirty”
Very well put. I read one of your bloggs about determining your drivers before reading this item. Your simple story really does create a great image of a balanced garden of trees, including a money tree, the need to tend all parts and consider the needs of other people’s gardens. Thanks.