Thought for Today - The Fisherman

[Guest guest]

The Fisherman

Issue: November 2005

Author: N/A

 

THE 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, 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 twenty-five years," replied the American. "And after

that?Afterwards?"

 

Well my Friend, 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?" said the Mexican.

 

"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 doing what you like and

enjoying your friends."

 

And the moral is: Know where you're going in life... you may already

be there.

 

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