Expanding Your World: Where Am I Going To?

 

 

Where am I going to?  Many of us ask ourselves this question.  My pal Josh shared this story with me this week, and I thought I’d pair it with a picture from Jon’s and my travels that depicts a simpler life.  It’s from Yeosu, South Korea – a couple of fishing boats docked in the river.

 

 

 

The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman

 

 

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them. "Not very long," answered the Mexican. "But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American. The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family. The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs ... I have a full life." The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. "And after that?" asked the Mexican. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise." "How long would that take?" asked the Mexican. "Twenty, perhaps 25 years," replied the American. "And after that?" the Mexican asked. "Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!" "Millions? Really? And after that?" "After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."

 

 

I welcome your comments!  What did you think of the story?  How can you relate it to your own life?

 

Comments

[Brian Driggs]

Haha. Nice!

Replace the second and third boats with Federal and private student loans and you have my story. Hindsight, right, Mr. B? Simplicity is the greatest reward.

Of course, we might also pair this parable with the old adage about teaching a man to fish, too. What if we spend the morning helpimg others fish instead of handling the fishing ourselves?

[VUOutreach]

Brian: Surprisingly, I heard this story earlier this week from the owner of the Nova Grill when we were chatting about his life growing up in Greece. My hope has been that we don't wait for a job transition to think about what is really important since we are only give one life to LIVE!