( Reading Time – About One To Two Minutes ).
I have come across this classic parable many times. And I would like to share it with anyone who has not read it before.
It is a very clever and valuable lesson on life ...
An investment banker was at the pier of a little coastal village when a small boat with just a single fisherman docked there beside him. Inside the small boat were several big and impressive fish.
The banker complimented the fisherman on the fine quality of these fish and asked him how long it took to catch them.
"Only a little while", the fisherman replied.
The banker was puzzled and inquired, "Why don't you stay out longer and get more fish ?"
To which the fisherman said, "With all this I have more than enough to support the needs of my family."
"But what do you do with the rest of your time ?" asked the banker.
I have come across this classic parable many times. And I would like to share it with anyone who has not read it before.
It is a very clever and valuable lesson on life ...
An investment banker was at the pier of a little coastal village when a small boat with just a single fisherman docked there beside him. Inside the small boat were several big and impressive fish.
The banker complimented the fisherman on the fine quality of these fish and asked him how long it took to catch them.
"Only a little while", the fisherman replied.
The banker was puzzled and inquired, "Why don't you stay out longer and get more fish ?"
To which the fisherman said, "With all this I have more than enough to support the needs of my family."
"But what do you do with the rest of your time ?" asked the banker.
The fisherman replies, "Well I sleep late, fish a little, play with my wonderful children, take a nice nap with my beautiful wife, stroll into the village each evening and spend time with my friends. I have a full and very enjoyable life."
The banker scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing. With the proceeds you can buy a bigger boat. Then with the profits from this bigger boat you can buy several boats. Eventually you can have a whole fleet of fishing boats. Then instead of selling your catch to a middleman you can sell directly to the processor, and eventually you can even open your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and the distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to a bigger town and eventually to a city where you will run your ever-expanding empire."
The fisherman asked, "How long will all this take ?"
The banker said, "Twenty to thirty years."
"But what then ?" asked the fisherman.
The banker laughed and said “Well that is 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 from the deal."
"Millions ? ... Then what?"
To which the banker replied, "Then you can retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you can sleep late, fish a little, play with your children, take a nap with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings and spend time with your friends."
Author ~ Unknown.
(I was unable to establish who the original writer of that great little piece is; if you know then please send me an email, as I would like to give them full credit for their wise words.)
The banker scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing. With the proceeds you can buy a bigger boat. Then with the profits from this bigger boat you can buy several boats. Eventually you can have a whole fleet of fishing boats. Then instead of selling your catch to a middleman you can sell directly to the processor, and eventually you can even open your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and the distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to a bigger town and eventually to a city where you will run your ever-expanding empire."
The fisherman asked, "How long will all this take ?"
The banker said, "Twenty to thirty years."
"But what then ?" asked the fisherman.
The banker laughed and said “Well that is 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 from the deal."
"Millions ? ... Then what?"
To which the banker replied, "Then you can retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you can sleep late, fish a little, play with your children, take a nap with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings and spend time with your friends."
Author ~ Unknown.
(I was unable to establish who the original writer of that great little piece is; if you know then please send me an email, as I would like to give them full credit for their wise words.)
