The choice is entirely up to you...
The businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village
when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat
were several large yellowfin tuna. The businessman complimented the
Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch
them. The Mexican replied only a little while.
The businessman then asked why he didn’t stay out longer and catch
more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s
immediate needs. The businessman then asked, but what do you do with the
rest of your time? The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a
little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll
into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my
amigos; I have a full and busy life, señor.”
The businessman scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and I could help you.
You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger
boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several
boats; eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of
selling your catch to a middleman, you would sell directly to the
processor and eventually open your own cannery. You would control the
product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small
coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually
New York City where you would run your expanding enterprise.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “But señor, how long will this all
take?” To which the businessman replied, “15-20 years.” “But what then,
señor?” The businessman laughed and said, “That’s the best part! When
the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock
to the public and become very rich. You would make millions.” “Millions,
señor? Then what?” The businessman said, “Then you would retire. Move
to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a
little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the
village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play guitar
with your amigos.”
The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, “Isn’t that what I’m doing right now?”
“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me
that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me
what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I
didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t
understand life.” (John Lennon)