The
difference between making a living and making a Life!
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. 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 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 enterprise. "How long
would that take?" asked the Mexican, "Twenty, perhaps
twenty-five years," replied the American, "And after
that?" "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."
Know where you're going in life... you may already be there!