The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman

For many students in their final year of University, the next 2 months represents the final stretch of a tough 3 or 4 years of hard studying before graduation. What comes next? Many soon to be graduates will surely choose a career in business, consulting and finance with dreams of a ‘high-flying’ career, whilst others may work for NGO’s, charities or in Medicine. Some may go onto work in Science and Engineering or pursue further study. With so many different options and avenues available, it is perhaps difficult to chose “the right path”. Can one path be better than another, or just different?

Thinking about the future decisions that many will soon have to make, I reflected on the famous ‘Parable of the Mexican Fisherman’ and found myself in reverie as to how timeless the thoughts below are. Your thoughts and comments are welcomed.

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

"Not very long," answered the Mexican.

"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the
American.

The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The American 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 into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs ... I have a full life."

The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard 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 Mexican.

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 middle man, 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 Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City!  From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."

"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.

"Twenty, perhaps 25 years," replied the American.

"And after that?" the Mexican asked.

"Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing.  "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?"

"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 drinking and enjoying your friends."
 

Know where you're going in life … you may already be there.

 

April 18, 2011  |  Article Posted By: Administrator 1 , London
Share This on :

Disclaimer:
Has your comment not appeared? Try waiting a moment and then refresh the page. If it still doesn't appear and you've checked your comment meets the terms of our comment policy then contact afterabc admin with the details of your comment so we can look into it. If you wish to complain about a comment please contact the editor directly.