Stay out longer and catch more fish.
An Australian businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Samoan village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna.
The Australian complimented the Samoan on the quality of his fish and asked, “How long did it take you to catch them?”
Samoan fisherman: “Only a couple of hours.”
Australian businessman: “Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?”
Samoan fisherman: “Because I have enough to support my family’s needs.”
Australian businessman: “So, what do you do with the rest of your time?”
Samoan fisherman: “I sleep late, hang out with my children, strum my ‘ukulele on the veranda, sing in the village choir, watch the footy, go for slow walks on the beach, and play cards with my brothers. I have a full and busy life.”
What enough looks like.
Australian businessman: “Mate I can help you out. Spend more time fishing and with the proceeds you will buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from the bigger boat you will buy several boats. Eventually you’ll have a fleet of fishing boats. And instead of selling your catch to a middleman you sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You control the product, processing and distribution. You’d need to leave Samoa and set up base in Sydney to run your expanding enterprise.”
Samoan fisherman: “How long will all this take?”
Australian businessman: “15-20 years.”
Samoan fisherman: “Then what?”
Australian businessman: “That’s the best part. When the time is right you announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very, very rich. You will make millions.”
Samoan fisherman: “Millions! Then what?”
Australian businessman: “Then you would retire and move to a quiet coastal fishing village where you can sleep late, hang out with your children, strum your ‘ukulele on the veranda, sing in the village choir, watch the footy, go for slow walks on the beach, and play cards with your brothers.”
| Two Quotes from Others | 1.“He who knows contentment is rich.”– Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching, Chapter 33, 450 BC) 2. “Beyond the point of providing for food, shelter, and safety, increases in wealth do little to improve people’s well-being and happiness.”– Tim Kasser (The High Price of Materialism, 2002) |
