THE FISHERMEN TALE: Great Lesson for Life and the Pursuit of Happiness

A Reality Check Fable for Go-Getters

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“Fisherman” Tale Shines Light on the Ambitious in a Rush to Go Nowhere!

I first heard this “FISHERMEN” tale told to me when I was hanging out on the largest lake in Mexico called “Lake Chapala”.  It was a perfect place to hear this tale since Lake Chapala is a sleepy fishing area of retirees and yes, local fishermen.

Since then, I have heard this tale told many times by many people all over the world. It’s been translated into many languages and shared by many learned and wise people in our human tribe.   I hope you enjoy its message and it contributes to your life adventure.   Enjoy!

THE FISHERMAN

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican fishing village.

A tourist complimented the local fishermen on the quality of their fish and asked how long it took them to catch them.

“Not very long.” they answered in unison.

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“Why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?”

The fishermen explained that their small catches were sufficient to meet their needs and those of their families.

“But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

“We sleep late, fish a little, play with our children, and take siestas with our wives. In the evenings, we go into the village to see our friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs.

We have a full life.”

The tourist 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?”

“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 middleman, 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?”

“Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years.” replied the tourist.

“And after that?”

“Afterwards? Well my friend, that’s when it gets really interesting, ” answered the tourist, laughing. “When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!”

“Millions? Really? And after that?” asked the fishermen.

“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.”

“With all due respect sir, but that’s exactly what we are doing now. So what’s the point wasting twenty-five years?” asked the Mexicans.

And the moral of this story is:  Know where you’re going in life…you may already be there!!

2024 copyright – Johnny Punish