There is a famous story that I have been thinking about lately of a Businessman who meets a Mexican man fishing on a little boat.  It’s a great story that makes you think about your life a little clearer and see what is really important. 

 

The businessman notices that the Mexican man caught a few fish so he started a dialogue:

Businessman:  how long did it take you to catch those fish?

Mexican:  About 2 hours.

Businessman:  What are you going to do now?

Mexican: I’m going to go to the market and sell the fish.  Then I’m going home to take a siesta with my wife, play with my children and relax.

Businessman:  Why don’t you fish a little more and sell the extra fish?

Mexican: Why would I do that?  I make enough money from the fish I sell to buy what I need.

Businessman:  Well… you can start a business and make a lot of money.

Mexican:  What do you suggest I do?

Businessman:  Well fish for twice as long, get twice as many fish and then sell the extras.  Eventually you will have enough money to buy another boat and you can hire a second fisherman to work for you.

Mexican:  And then what?

Businessman:  Then you can make even more money and buy more boats and hire more people.  Eventually you will have enough fish to start exporting them to the United States.

Mexican:  And then what?

Businessman:  Then you can build a business in the US importing the fish.  Eventually you will be able to go public and make a ton of money.

Mexican:  How long will all of this take?

Businessman:  Oh, about 20 years or so if you work really hard.

Mexican:  And then what do I do?

Businessman:  Well, that’s the best part.  You can retire with a ton of money, buy yourself a house by the beach, go fishing, take a siesta every day, play with your kids and relax.

 

The lesson you learn from this story is to think about why you would work so hard for so long to get what you already have.  It’s not always so hard and complicated to get what you want out of life.  There are many ways to get to where you want.  Don’t just follow the crowd.  Think about what you really want and how you can get it.  Then if you have to, take the road less traveled.  It made “all the difference” for Robert Frost.

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