There may exist today millions of people around the world who are working hard for something they can achieve or obtain with less than one-one hundredth of the effort. They’ve put their goal so far out that they end up spending the majority of the time in their life in a state of stress or worry all in the hopes that some future day, they might with the prize.
I want to share with you a story I read many years ago while working on my MBA. It illustrates perfectly the fallacy that many of us may be trapped in.
My challenge to you today is to check yourself. Ask yourself, “Is there some way that I’ve lost track of what really matters to me in my life?”
Hi, my name is Ben Balden, and my vision is to help humanity live happier fuller lives through inspiration and personal development.
Since first hearing the story in business school, I have heard it quoted many times in many different forms. I have seen this story attributed to Heinrich Böll, a Nobel Prize Laureate for Literature.1 The original title of the story was Anekdote zur Senkung der Arbeitsmoral (“Anecdote on the Decline of the Work Ethic”). Thank you Heinrich to contributing such an amazing story to humanity.
Here is the story…
An American businessman was standing at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.
“How long did it take you to catch them?” the American asked.
“Only a little while,” the Mexican replied.
“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” the American asked.
“I have enough to support my family’s immediate needs,” the Mexican said.
“But,” the American then asked, “What do you do with the rest of your time?”
The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, and stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, señor.”
The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds you can buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats.”
The American continued, “Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the consumers, eventually opening your own can factory. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal village and move to Mexico City and eventually New York where you will run your expanding enterprise.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “But señor, how long will all of this take?”
The American replied, “15-20 years.”
“Then what, señor?”
The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO (Initial Public Offering) and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You will make millions.”
“Millions, señor? Then what?”
The American said slowly, “Then you would retire. You would move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, and stroll into the village each evening where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos…”
The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, “Isn’t that what I’m doing right now?”
So, what does this story mean for you?
While it may be a source or importance, power, and prestige to build what is analogous to a large fishing empire, you need to ask yourself what the end goal of all this is in the first place. Is there a quicker route to your goal? Is there a way that you can take the journey to success and enjoy the fruits of success along the way? How can you strategize this to live a happier, fuller life each and every day (or at least as much as possible)?
Is there something you can simplify in your life today to enjoy some of the reward you may be working so hard to earn? What matters most in your life? Have you lost sight of it while chasing down other goals? Have you become distracted?
Give yourself the gift of a few minutes to drop everything and ponder on this concept and these questions. Pausing and taking a few moments right now may set your life on a trajectory toward a brighter and happier future.
I love you. Thank you for letting me share this inspirational story with you. Please come back for more.
Footnotes and References
- Mexican Fisherman Meets Harvard MBA What Really Matters in Life? by Sakin Shrestha https://sakinshrestha.com/management/mexican-fisherman-meets-harvard-mba-what-really-matters-in-life/
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