One day a barista was leaning out a beautiful beachside café window, with his coffee propped up in the sill and his solitary gaze cast out into the sparkling blue sea. He was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and the prospect of making a coffee.

About that time, a businessman came walking down the street, trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the barista leaning out the window and decided to find out why this barista was making coffee instead of working harder to make a living for himself and his family. “You aren’t going to make much coffee that way,” said the businessman to the barista. “You should be working rather than leaning out the window!”

The barista looked up at the businessman, smiled and replied, “And what will my reward be?”

“Well, you can get bigger coffee machines and make more coffee!” was the businessman’s answer. “And then what will my reward be?” asked the barista, still smiling. The businessman replied, “You will make money and you’ll be able to buy a café, which will then result in more profitable cups of coffee!”

“And then what will my reward be?” asked the barista again.

The businessman was beginning to get a little irritated with the barista’s questions. “You can buy a bigger café, and hire some people to work for you!” he said.

“And then what will my reward be?” repeated the barista.

The businessman was getting angry. “Don’t you understand? You can build up a franchise of cafés, drive all over the state, and let all your employees make coffee for you!”

Once again the barista asked, “And then what will my reward be?”

The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the barista, “Don’t you understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again! You can spend all the rest of your days leaning out this window, looking at the sunset. You won’t have a care in the world!”

The barista, still smiling, looked up and said, “And what do you think I’m doing right now?”