“A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good, and who are not accustomed to have it done to them; then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbour — such is my idea of happiness.”
Leo Tolstoy
In the crazy 100 mile an hour world we live in today, it is very easy to lose sight of the truly important things in life. Most of us are fortunate enough to have what we already need. Remember that time is our most precious commodity and life is not a rehearsal. I think The Mexican Fisherman story demonstrates that we need to slow down, reassess, and think about what we each want out of life.
The following story illustrates this beautifully…
The Mexican Fisherman Story
A Mexican fisherman docked his tiny boat at the pier of the small coastal Mexican village, as he did most days. Inside the fishing boat were several large yellowfin tuna fish. A passing American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican simply replied “not long”. The American then asked why he didn’t stay out longer and catch more fish. The Mexican said he’d caught enough to support the immediate needs of his family. The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”
The Mexican fisherman explained. “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife Maria and stroll into the village each evening to sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life”. The American scoffed at this and said “I have a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and buy a bigger boat with the proceeds”.
He went on to advise that “with the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually owning a fleet. You could open your own cannery and start selling directly to the processor. Of course, you’d need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City, where you would run your expanding enterprise”.
The Mexican fisherman asked, “But how long would all this take?” The American said, “oh about 15–20 years”. “But what then?” asked the Mexican.
The American laughed and said “Well that’s the best part. When the time is right you could sell your company and you’d make millions! You could then retire to a small coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife and stroll to the village each evening to sip wine and play guitar with your amigos”.
