Does it really matter?

Today I would like to share with you a short story that each and every one of us should read from time to time. It serves as a reminder that many things we are trying to do in our lives are actually pointless and unnecessary. Sometimes we already have everything we could ever wish for. We are just too busy to realize it. We are so busy chasing our next goal, reading the next book, earning our next million etc. that we forget why we started at first place. In other words, we forget our values as well as believes and simply get caught in this never ending game of wanting more.

Story that changed the way I look at my business:

An American investment banker took a vacation to a small coastal Mexican village on doctor's order. Unable to sleep after ran urgent phone call from the office the first morning, he walked out to pier to clear his head. A small boat with just one fisherman had docked and inside the boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked “How long did it take you to catch them?”

“Only a little while”, the Mexican replied in surprisingly good English. “Why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish?” the American asked.

“I have enough to support my family and give a few to friends” the Mexican said as he unloaded them into a basket. The American then asked, “

“But… what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Mexican looked up and smiled. “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Julia and stroll into the village each evening, where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life.”
The American laughed and stood tall “Sir, I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. In no time, you could buy several boats with the increased haul. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats.”

He continued “Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the consumer, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village of course and move to Mexico City, then to Los Angeles and eventually New York City, where you could run your expanding enterprise with proper management.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will all this take?”

To which the American replied, “15 – 20 years. 25 tops.”

“But what then?” Asked Mexican.

The American 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? Then what?”

“Then you would retire and move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos…”