I stumbled upon this inspiring story recently, and as it really made me think about what we as individuals value as success, (financial) freedom and (above all) happiness in our lives, and how our perspectives are so different from one another, I thought it was only fitting to share it on Vicky’s World.
Enjoy the read! And take a minute to think about it. It will be worth it. Trust me…
An American investment banker was taking a much-needed vacation in a small coastal Mexican village when a local fisherman docked a small boat right where he was standing to enjoy the sunrise. The boat had several large, fresh fish in it.
The investment banker was impressed by the quality of the fish and asked the Mexican how long it took him to catch them. The Mexican replied: “Oh only a little while, senor.” As it was still really early, the banker asked why the fisherman didn’t stay out a bit longer and catch more fish. The Mexican fisherman replied content that he already had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.
The American then asked: “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”
The Mexican fisherman replied: “I sleep late, fish a little in the mornings, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, stroll through the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos…”
The investment banker couldn’t help but belittle the fisherman by telling him: “I am an Ivy League MBA, and I could help you. You see, if you would spend more time fishing, with these proceeds you could buy a bigger boat. And with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats until eventually you would have a whole fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to the middleman you could sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You could control the product, processing and distribution.”
Then he added: “Of course, you would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City where you would run your growing enterprise.”
The Mexican fisherman asked: “But senor, how long will this all take?”
To which the American replied: “Oh just about 15 to 20 years.”
“But what then?” asked the Mexican.
The American laughed and said: “That’s the best part. When the time is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You could make millions!”
“Millions, senor? And then?”
To which the investment banker replied: “Then you would retire. You could move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little in the mornings, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll through the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”
So, I guess the moral of this story, and my question to you, is:
Are you working hard each day to one day (hopefully) live happily, like the banker? Or are you living to work a little bit each morning and be truly happy the rest of each day of your life, like the fisherman?
Maybe it’s time to start living today, instead of planning ahead for a life that may never happen.
Good luck!
~love & smiles~
Vicky
Vicky's World 