A long time ago, in a tiny medieval village, a farmer spots three soldiers on the edge of town. Knowing what would likely happen next, he runs into the marketplace shouting a warning: Quick, close the doors, lock the window! There are soldiers coming and they will take away all our food!
The soldiers are in fact hungry. When they enter the village, they start knocking on doors, asking for food. The first villager tells them the cupboard is bare. At the next, the second villager tells them the same. The next door isn’t even opened.
Finally one of the starving soldiers says, have an idea, let’s make stone soup!
With that, he strides over and knocks on yet another door. Excuse me, he says to the villager, do you have a cauldron and some firewood? We would like to make some stone soup.
The villager, thinking there’s no risk to her, says, a Soup from stones? This I’ve got to see. Sure, I’ll help. So she gives them a cauldron and some firewood while another soldier gets some water. They bring the water to a boil and place three large stones in the pot. News spreads around the town and the villagers begin to gather. A Soup from stones, they say. This we have to see.
So the soldiers are standing around the fire and the villagers are standing around the soldiers.
I had no idea you can make soup from stones, says one villager.
Sure you can, replies the soldier.
Eventually, tired of standing around, another villager asks, How Can I help?
Perhaps, says a soldier, if you had a few potatoes, that would make the stone soup even better.
So the villager quickly fetches some potatoes and adds them to the pot of simmering stones.
Another asks, how can I help?
Well, a couple of carrots would sure make the soup even better.
So the villager contributes some carrots. Soon others are adding poultry, barley, garlic, and leeks.
After a while one of the soldiers calls out, it is done, and shares the soup with everyone. The villagers are heard saying, “Soup from stones! It tastes fantastic. I had no idea”
That story of stone soup comes from an old folktale that eventually became a children’s book.
Perhaps making stone is the only way you can succeed as a professional, entrepreneur. You have to start somewhere. And if you have passion for your work, others will detect it and join you.
What are the stones? These could be your big ideas; the contributions of the villagers, the capital, and resources offered by partners, friends. Everyone who adds a small amount to your stone soup is in fact helping to make your dreams come true.
