An art director, a copywriter, and an accountant were on a flight to meet a big client.

Somewhere over the clouds, they noticed something wedged in the overhead bin—a dusty old bottle.

Curious, they pulled it down and opened it. And just like in the stories, a genie appeared.

The genie, grateful to be free, said, “Each of you gets one wish.”

The art director went first. “I want to be Picasso!” Poof. He disappeared.

The copywriter’s eyes gleamed. “Make me JK Rowling!” Poof. She was gone too.

The genie turned to the accountant.

The accountant sighed, checked his watch, and said:

“Could you bring those two back? We have a meeting with our client in less than three hours.”

A great punchline. But also a powerful insight into how our minds work.

The Inner Accountant: The Voice That Holds You Back

You know that voice.

The one that pops up just as you start to imagine something bigger.

“That’s not practical.”
“You don’t have time for that.”
“You should focus on what’s realistic.”

It sounds responsible. It sounds logical. But here’s what it really is:

• A reflex.
• A thought pattern.
• A voice trained to keep things predictable and safe.

And if you take it at face value, it keeps you stuck.

• You won’t take the leap.
• You won’t follow the idea.
• You won’t trust yourself to step into something new.

But Here’s the Truth About That Voice

That inner accountant?

It’s not reality. It’s just one of many voices your mind generates.

And the moment you see that, you gain freedom.

• Freedom to dream without immediately shutting yourself down.
• Freedom to take action without overthinking every possible outcome.
• Freedom to let fresh ideas and solutions emerge instead of drowning in mental noise.

This Is Where Clarity Lives

When I work with clients, this is what we uncover.

They come to me feeling stuck, full of doubt, and caught in a loop of second-guessing. But the moment they realize their struggles aren’t external problems but internal noise, they don’t have to believe—everything shifts.

• Their minds settle.
• They see solutions that were hidden before.
• They move forward with ease.

And all because they stopped giving so much power to their inner accountant.