The Mexican Fisherman.
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 it took 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 then 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, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life, senor."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds you 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."
"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 fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will all this take?"
To which the American replied, "15-20 years."
"But what then, senor?"
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 would make millions."
"Millions, senor? Then what?"
The American said slowly, "Then you would retire. 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, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos...."
"How long it took 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 then 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, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life, senor."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds you 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."
"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 fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will all this take?"
To which the American replied, "15-20 years."
"But what then, senor?"
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 would make millions."
"Millions, senor? Then what?"
The American said slowly, "Then you would retire. 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, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos...."
Labels: financial forwards, life
posted by J. Money at
7:47 AM
21 Comments:
Well done. Read it to my family.
Thank you for putting this up...now I want to be a mexican fishwoman.
JK!
Seriously, this is a good one, I love it.
And when a Hurricane comes and destroys his boat and home? When he or someone in his family becomes ill? As I understand it Mexico isn't Denmark - the social safety net is threadbare at best. It might be wise for him to catch a few extra fish and put a little away for a rainy day.
Glad you guys enjoyed it - one of my faves :)
@Anonymous - For sure. It's always smart to store some extras away and be as financially secure as you can. This story, to me, is more about enjoying what we have around us right now and making sure that work doesn't consume us like it does for some.
This story, to me, is more about enjoying what we have around us right now and making sure that work doesn't consume us like it does for some.
True, but doesn't that story also explain why so many people end up mired in poverty. A 16yo High School student makes the perfectly rational decision to "enjoy what he has around him right now" and play x-box with his buddies rather than studying for the big math test. As a result he can't get into a decent college, he can't get a decent job and he ends up miserable and frustrated by his seeming inability to get ahead in the world.
I don't think lazy 16 year olds are going to be ones who will read this story and take something away from it. The point is obviously geared toward the workaholic who could gain a lot by putting things in a bit more perspective as to the most important things in life. (And I agree it's a great point to make).
Nice message!
Lily,
It seems like the old myth that no one on their death bed ever wished they'd spent more time at the office.
The sad truth is that millions have reached the end of their life, locked away in some Dickensian nursing home, thinking to themselves - "Hum, I really wish I would have tried harder to make something of myself."
Perhaps, but I think it goes both ways--for all those people who wish they could have made more of themselves, I think there are just as many who regret wasting years being obsessed over monetary concerns at the expense of appreciating some of the finer joys of life.
At the end of the day, success can be a pretty subjective thing. I think for most people (especially those of us who have the means to access a computer and the motivation to peruse personal finance blogs--i.e., who are probably not burdened with the implications of real impoverishment), achieving success in relationships and appreciating life outside of work is just as important as achieving success in the business world. It's all about balance.
For a beautiful video of this story, watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McvCJley78A&feature=player_embedded
Life is what WE make it to be. Nice post.
@Anonymous & Lily - Nice to see some action going on here ;) Regardless of our views, I wish you both a merry weekend!
@Stephen - Hah! Love it, good find. Cool to see this matched up with music and some visionary appeal ;) God bless my brotha.
@Montina Young Fortune - You know it!
What a lovely story. Given the first line of the fable, i really would have thought this joke was going to go another way.
I have seen a version of this story before. But it is worth retelling.
LOVE IT! Sometimes it pays to stop and love the life you have now. :)
Great story line here. Most Americans tend to think that they need a lot of money to buy happiness.
I travel to a lot of countries for work, some are developing. You would be surprised how the simple things is all most people need to be happy, if you only accept it. I think this story is spot on - good one.
Thanks
i've received this little parable several times and i always enjoy it!
Thanks for sharing. This is a great story
Glad you enjoyed guys :)
@basicmoneytips - Indeed! "You would be surprised how the simple things is all most people need to be happy"
Now that is perspective!
I love it...could be interpreted in a thousand different ways...even by the same person. Try reading it every couple of years. Thanks for such a nice post, I like some more please :oP
This is true....I've read it at least 3-4 times in the past few years. I'll see what I can do about scrounging up some more ;)
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Back to Budgetsaresexy.com