Posts Tagged ‘Stories’
A Fishy Coaching Story About Happiness: The Mexican Fisherman
An American businessman was at a pier in a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow-fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied only a little while.
The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish?
The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.
The American then asked the Mexican how he spent the rest of his time.
The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor.”
The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and, with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution.
“You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “But senor, how long will this all take?”
To which the American replied, “15-20 years.”
“But what then, senor?” asked the 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. You’ll become very rich, you
would make millions!”
“Millions, senor?” replied the Mexican. “Then what?”
The American said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”
Tags: Coaching, Happiness, Inspiration, Stories, The Mexican Fisherman
True Lasting Happiness – A Sufi Parable
A Sufi Master once saw a dog chewing the dry bone of a buffalo. The bone has jagged edges and sharply cut the tongue, gums and mouth of the dog. Blood flowed and the dog licked and chewed even harder. The blood and flesh it was tasting were its own but the dog believed they were from the bone. The dog did not ever bother to question whether or not this was true.
The dog vigorously continued to chew this bone with its sharp canine holding it with its hefty forelegs, even though it hurts itself more the longer it does so. The bone was dry. The marrow had gone. There was no flesh around. The bone possessed nothing but a rotten smell. But its impact on the dog was tempting. It was not ready to leave the bone and was clinging on to it hard.
Pondered our world and its mendacity, its temporality, its tribulation, and its temptations. Is the world not like a bone to the dog?
Man bears and nurtures first. Then he snatches, tears, levels, and captures. He thinks of getting luxuries, comforts, and enjoyment. A dry bone to a dog!
And what do you think would happen if another dog entered the story and demanded the bone from the first dog? Would it give the bone knowing that it was bare and dry or would it fight for it?
The peace, joy and happiness we seek are already inside us all this while. We were born into this world with them. but we keep hunting for them outside…
The worldly things we pine for so desperately and accumulate so avariciously wound us in the same manner the bone cuts the dog, but we believe the pleasure we derive is from those material objects and cling to them more ferociously, fighting with whoever crosses our path.
Blood drip from our wounds and stain our path of life. Still we continue with apparent relish, striving for more money and the next toy to buy.
The happiness we seek is already here, within us. We only need to recognise, experience and appreciate it, instead of trying to substitute the feeling of true happiness with that which we derive from our incessant acquisition as fueled by the media and our current culture of excessive consumption!
True lasting happiness comes with letting go of our desires and wants, appreciating whatever is already here within us.
Tags: Happiness, Inspiration, Stories
