I shared this back in October 2010 on my old donquah.blogspot.com. Reproducing it here. I must say this is a very consequential parable as I have applied this to current major decision of mine to stay out of employment and strive to live just adequately. (Do note that the link in the text may no longer work. There are many other sources to the same story by just doing a quick search of the same name.)
I heard this story from a recording of a talk by Ajahn Brahm. I thought it would be good to share. It’s simple yet provocative in some ways… it’s like asking the question “Are we there yet, when you are already there but not realizing it” Below is the reproduction of the story from http://www.wellsphere.com. The entire context is intact, though it would be better to listen to him tell the story.
In a quiet Mexican fishing village, an American who was on vacation saw a local fisherman unloading his catch. He decided to approach him.
The American asked the fisherman, “why are you finishing your day so early?”
The Mexican replied “Oh Senor, I have caught enough to feed my family and a little extra to sell for today. It is now time to go for lunch with my family and have a siesta. In the afternoon, I can play with my kids. In the evening, I will go to the cantina, drink a little tequila and play the guitar.”
The business professor was horrified at the fisherman’s lack of motivation to succeed. He answered, “If you stay out at sea until late afternoon, you will easily catch twice as much fish. You can sell the extra, save up the money and in six months, maybe nine, you will be able to buy a bigger and better boat, and hire some crew. Then you’ll be able to buy a second fishing boat and hire another crew.”
He continued, “In another year or two, you will have the capital to buy a second fishing boat and hire another crew. If you follow this business plan, in six or seven years, you will be the proud owner of a large fishing fleet.”
“Just imagine that! Then you can move your head office to Mexico city, or even to L.A. After only three or four years in LA, you float your company on the stock market giving yourself, as CEO, at a generous salary package with substantial share options. In a few more years – listen to this! – you initiate a company share buy-back scheme, which will make you a multi-millionaire! Guaranteed!”
The American got very excited at the prospect himself. He said, “I definitely know these things. I’m a well known professor at the US Business School.”
The Mexican fisherman listened intently at what the animated American had to say. When the professor had finished, the Mexican asked him, “But, Senor Professor, what can a person do after getting millions of dollars?”
Now, the American professor hadn’t thought that far. He was taken aback by the question.
So he quickly figured out an answer “Amigo! With all that dough, you can retire. Yeah! Retire for life! You can buy a little villa with a picturesque fishing village like this one, and purchase a small boat for going fishing in the morning, You can have lunch with your wife every day, and a siesta in the afternoon, with nothing to worry you. In the afternoon, you can spend quality time with your kids, and after dinner in the evening, play guitar with your friends in the cantina, drinking tequila. Yeah, with all the money, my friend, you can retire and take it easy.”
Puzzled with the American’s suggestion, the Mexican fisherman replied, “but, Senor Professor, I do that already!”
Leave a Reply