R.D. Bhardwaj “Noorpuri”
Once, an American businessman visited 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 fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
The Mexican replied that it took him just two hours or so for this small job.The American then asked as to why didn’t he stay out for a longer time and catch more fish ? The Mexican replied that he had a small family of four people only and this quantity of fish was enough to support his family’s immediate and genuine needs.
The American then asked the Mexican fellow – as it is just 11.30 AM, how he spends the rest of his day time. The Mexican fisherman replied, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, and in the evening, I stroll into the village streets where I sip some wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, dear !”
The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard educated MBA and can help you to get better and earn more money to make you flourish. 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 and also generate employment for a few people. Instead of selling your catch of small amount of fish to some middleman, you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution – all shall be yours, but to reach that stage of prosperity, you will have to devote more time at sea and make some serious, regular and strenuous efforts.
“You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angles and eventually New York City where you will run your own expanding enterprise.” The Mexican fisherman asked, “But dear ! How long will this all take ?” To answer this query from the Mexican fisherman, the American thought for a while and then replied, “I think, it will take 15-20 years.”
“But what then, dear?” asked the Mexican villager.
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, powerful and you would make millions !” “Millions ?” replied the Mexican. “Then what?”
The American business guy replied, “Then you may think of retiring. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids and grand-kids, take siesta with your wife or your grand-children, stroll into the streets of your village in the evenings where you could sip your favourite wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”
Then the Mexican village Fisherman had a hearty laughter and seeing him laughing like a mad man, the American business guy asked, “what made you laugh like this?” The Maxine villager laughed again, and then scratching his forehead, he replied with full sense of conviction and satisfaction, “My dear Sir ! Life is a beautiful gift of God to man and all the material things you have just mentioned to shower huge riches on me or my family, cannot bring the real contentment and happiness. In fact, happiness and contentment are just a state mind, one can remain happy by just fulfilling his bare minimum requirements and by spending more quality time with your family or you can constantly resort to hard work to increase your work and thereby lose your peace of mind. Once, a man starts running after a number of material things, he will also have to ignore his family affairs and thereby, lose his sense of satisfaction. I know many people – when prosperity came to their life, personal relations started drifting apart, as people tend to be greedy and greedier, hankering after wealth only, looking for monetary gains only………. As far I am concerned, I am happy the way things are coming my way and am able to keep my family happy and contended. I really don’t have any tension or many things to worry about and that keeps me healthy as well. Once, you start expanding your business, soon tension also follow, which brings a lot of ailments, and all this starts creating some undesired rifts amongst the family members. So my dear sir ! I am happy and contended person – as God is kind enough on me to give me good health and a decent and well-knit family.”
By the way, thanks for your business advice, and I will certainly pass-over it to some one who is ready to undergo all other related aspects as well, like accepting a rose along with its innumerable thorns.
