A
boat docked in a tiny seaside village. An American tourist complimented the
local fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to
catch them.
"Not very long," answered the fisherman.
"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the
American. The fisherman 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, 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 fisherman.
"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 the city, Los Angeles, or even New York
City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."
"How long would that take?" asked the fisherman.
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.
"And after that?"
"Afterwards? Well my Friend, 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?" said the fisherman.
"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 doing what you like and enjoying your
friends."
*
|