For this blog post I would like to reference a little story excerpted from my book, Choosing a Life Well Lived: How to Recreate Your Career and Your Life Through Value-Based Choices, that illustrates the idea of appreciating the moment – before it is gone forever.
The Fisherman and the Businessman
One day a fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach, with his
fishing pole propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the
sparkling blue surf. He was enjoying the
warmth of the afternoon sun and the prospect of catching a fish.
About that time, a businessman came walking down the beach,
trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the fisherman
sitting on the beach and decided to find out why this fisherman was relaxing on
the beach with a fishing pole in the sand instead of working harder to make a
living for himself and his family. "You aren't going to catch many fish
that way," said the businessman to the fisherman, "you should be
working rather than lying on the beach!"
The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and
replied, "And what will my reward be?" "Well, you can get more
poles and catch more fish!" was the businessman's answer. "And then
what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman, still smiling.
The businessman replied, "You will make money and
you'll be able to buy a boat, which will then result in larger catches of
fish!" "And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman
again.
The businessman was beginning to get a little irritated with
the fisherman's questions. "You can
buy a bigger boat, and hire some people to work for you!" he said.
"And then what will my reward be?" repeated the fisherman.
The businessman was getting angry. "Don't you
understand? You can build up a fleet of
fishing boats, sail all over the world, and let all your employees catch fish
for you!"
Once again the fisherman asked, "And then what will my
reward be?" The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the
fisherman, "Don't you understand that you can become so rich that you will
never have to work for your living again! You can spend all the rest of your
days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset. You won't have a care in the
world!"
The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, "And
what do you think I'm doing at this moment?"
-- Author Unknown
Have a Great Week, Everyone!
