“Less stuff, less work, less expense equals more money, more time, more joy. Less equals more.”
You know what’s interesting? The way most of us live our lives and how we are constantly chasing after all kind of things that are somewhere out there. We can’t seem to find a way to be happy with where we are and what we have, we can’t seem to find a way to really enjoy our lives.
Of course it’s important to have a clear mental picture of how you want your future to look like but you don’t want to waste your life making plans for the future, because in the end, just like John Lennon said it, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”
Knowing this, will we ever find a way to be happy with where we are and what we have?
Where is the peace in more is better? ~Wayne Dyer
Today I want to share this inspiring story with you and I would love to know what are your thoughts on it. Do you sometimes get caught up in the chase and forget to really enjoy life?
Mexican Fisherman Meets Harvard MBA What Really Matters in Life?
“A vacationing American businessman standing on the pier of a quaint coastal fishing village in southern Mexico watched as a small boat with just one young Mexican fisherman pulled into the dock. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. Enjoying the warmth of the early afternoon sun, the American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.
“How long did it take you to catch them?” the American casually asked.
“Oh, a few hours,” the Mexican fisherman replied.
“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” the American businessman then asked.
The Mexican warmly replied, “With this I have more than enough to support my family’s needs.”
The businessman then became serious, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”
Responding with a smile, the Mexican fisherman answered, “I sleep late, play with my children, watch ballgames, and take siesta with my wife. Sometimes in the evenings I take a stroll into the village to see my friends, play the guitar, sing a few songs…”
The American businessman impatiently interrupted, “Look, I have an MBA from Harvard, and I can help you to be more profitable. You can start by fishing several hours longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra money, you can buy a bigger boat. With the additional income that larger boat will bring, before long you can buy a second boat, then a third one, and so on, until you have an entire fleet of fishing boats.”
Proud of his own sharp thinking, he excitedly elaborated a grand scheme which could bring even bigger profits, “Then, instead of selling your catch to a middleman you’ll be able to sell your fish directly to the processor, or even open your own cannery. Eventually, you could control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this tiny coastal village and move to Mexico City, or possibly even Los Angeles or New York City, where you could even further expand your enterprise.”
Having never thought of such things, the Mexican fisherman asked, “But how long will all this take?”
After a rapid mental calculation, the Harvard MBA pronounced, “Probably about 15-20 years, maybe less if you work really hard.”
“And then what, señor?” asked the fisherman.
“Why, that’s the best part!” answered the businessman with a laugh. “When the time is right, you would sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions.”
“Millions? Really? What would I do with it all?” asked the young fisherman in disbelief.
The businessman boasted, “Then you could happily retire with all the money you’ve made. You could move to a quaint coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, play with your grandchildren, watch ballgames, and take siesta with your wife. You could stroll to the village in the evenings where you could play the guitar and sing with your friends all you want.”
So how do you want to live your life? Do you want to be like the young fisherman or do you want to be like the Harvard graduate? Feel free to share your thoughts by commenting bellow.
With all my love,
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Luminita D. Saviuc
Luminita is the Founder and Editor in Chief of PurposeFairy.com and also the author of 15 Things You Should Give Up to Be Happy: An Inspiring Guide to Discovering Effortless Joy. For more details check out the 15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy Book Page.
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12 Comments
bonnie
at 12:22 am
Like a lot of others, 14 months ago I lost my job. A lot of mental gymnastics later, alot of worry and tears.. I still had no job. Searching 7 days a week, reems of resume’s. Then it came to me…I have a very small income.. my rent is paid.. my bills are paid and i’m not starving to death…my car works fine and my gas bill has gone down by $200 a month… So I sent thanks to the power that created us all for giving me what I had always wanted…
TIME TO WORK ON MY ART WORK. omg, /facepalm I’m handed a gift and didn’t even see it.
thank you !!!!
Carmen
at 10:09 am
I will choose the middle path. Too much leisure or money dulls your mind. I would like to have a bigger boat to haul more fish but nothing beyond that. It will bring financial security but wouldn’t erode the quality of life that the fisherman has now.You will never be able to enjoy what the Mexican fishman experience now when you have finally reached your fortune 15-20 years later. In fact, even if you can reach it within a shorter time frame you would have lost all the joy in the process.
Just don’t tell your other half that you are doing it for them you are doing it to satisfy one’s financial ambition not for your family’s happiness.
diana
at 3:43 am
The fisherman has all he values – I hope he doesn’t do the “what if?” Years from now.
Lori
at 6:19 pm
I agree with the fisherman..as a society we have so many “THINGS” we don’t need. We waste a lot of time and money on things we don’t need instead of focusing on the things we do need. I for one have always felt better having less than more things.I work full time, have a house a car, food, clothes and a lot of gratitude. Life is not about money and working yourself to death to have more stuff….
Christina O.
at 5:08 pm
I strive to be that young fisherman, but every day I have to remind myself not to get caught up in what is around me. I live in Northern Virginia and so many people are constantly running around, juggling so many things at once, never able to give their full attention to any on thing – sadly, not even their children. In fact, there are many women I see regularly who live in huge houses, don’t work, and send their young children to day care. I used to think we would have to move to escape this pace, but I realized recently that all I really have to do is trust my heart, not worry about what others think of me and my decisions, and always put myself and my family first. My life has changed dramatically over the past three years because of this mindset. It’s not always easy to pass up a new expensive handbag or watch, but it’s always worth it! I try to live my life for me and to create beautiful memories for my daughter…not so my stories will impress my neighbors.
Lenore
at 4:10 pm
After I read the article, I thought “what did the man with the MBA offer to the young Mexican that the fisherman didn’t already have?” Besides enjoying life, the young man was “content” with having more than enough to support his family, which gave him more time to do the things that brought him joy in life. Often, less IS more! Depends on where a person looks for joy in life!
Dean
at 4:06 pm
I retired early because I wanted to enjoy my life while I was still relatively young. I always wanted to volunteer on different levels. I have had the chance to do all of that. I wanted to sleep late and sit in the park in the sun. I didn’t want to wait till I had to leave work because of illness like I saw some of my friends. I stepped out on Faith. I didn’t want the thought of more money more money to be my determining goal.
Yura
at 2:56 pm
I get emails with your stories in my mailbox daily. Most of the time I trash it because I’m at work and don’t have time to read it. Today I have a day off and I exuded to read the interesting article. I’m planning on going to MBA school next year and I’m also planning on going to Mexico and traveling in general. Very interesting how things are serindipotius sometime…all we have to do is be able to reciprocate the information that is being directed SPECIFICALLY for your hearts and minds. Thanks you for this daily gem of inspiration so early in my day 🙂
W.S. Miller
at 1:43 pm
It’s the American “work ethic” gone amok. What’s made us “great” has become a suffocating burden in the 21st century. Let’s hope we can find a way to change and rediscover the joy of living instead of chasing money.
Alyssa
at 6:38 am
The life the Harvard graduate offers the Fisherman as a lavish alternative to his current life is the exact life the Fisherman is presently living. What a great moral taught in this marvelous article! Thank you! 🙂
jodie
at 12:06 am
Why not do a little of both.. and add more time fishing just a little when the fishing is good and give deals to the less fortunate…. good reputations go along way….. then teach some other ambitious person the tricks of the trade and ask for a small % of the profit…till he finds some one to teach the same trade ie…fishing ….and also ask for a % profit from him add your % profit to his and so on…..and everyone will profit in the end by watching the fish come in on the docks that they bought with their profit we all win!!!!
Kathy Kent
at 5:17 pm
Funny how the right article comes along at the right time in your life to make you think…less is definitely more! When it comes to our health, less is more also. There is no need for expensive triathlon bikes or equipment, when the walking suffices for the cultures of the world that live to be centarians. When it comes to food, less is more and better for our health, as we overindulge when we have “more”. Nice article!