The Good Life. . .
There is a famous story about the good life 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. You can purchase a packing facility, cut out the middle man and control the whole operation.
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.
Helpful Links and References for The Good Life:
I think about this story a lot. How do we simplify our lives to narrow down what is really important?
- When do you slow down? https://bemorewithless.com/the-story-of-the-mexican-fisherman/
- Becoming a Minimalist: https://www.becomingminimalist.com/recognizing-happiness/
- Setting priorities in your life: https://naturalhealthtechniques.com/priority-setting/