A boat docked in a tiny coastal village. A tourist disembarked and complimented the local fisherman on the quality of his fish, and asked how long it took to catch them.
- Not very long, said the local fisherman.
- But then, why don’t you stay out longer and catch more? asked the tourist.
- The local fisherman explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.
- The tourist asked, but what do you do with the rest of your time?
- I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings I go to the village to see my friends, play the guitar, and sing a few songs… I have a full life.
The tourist interrupted. I have an MBA 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? asked the local fisherman.
- 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 a big city! From there, you can direct your huge new enterprise.
- How long would that take? asked the local fisherman.
- 20 perhaps 25 years, replied, the tourist.
- And after that?
- Afterwards? Well, my friend, that’s when it gets really interesting, answered the tourist, When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!
- Millions? Really? And after that? said the local fisherman.
- 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 doing what you like and enjoying your friends.
Guideline for Living: know where you’re going in life; you may already be there.
- Author Unknown
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