Are You Living

The Good Life?

A Parable by Mark
Albion, author of More
Than Money
Many years ago, after I graduated from Business
School, I took a vacation in a small, quiet fishing
village, where I thought Id be able to take my mind
off of business if only for a few days.
alking along the beach before sunset, I saw a
small fishing boat come into shore. Inside the boat
were a lone fisherman and several beautiful yellow!
fin tuna. "#ow long did it take you to catch those
fish$% I asked. "&nly a little while,% he re'lied.
"hy dont you stay out a bit longer and catch more$% I
asked, certain there must be a demand for more fish than the
few I saw on the boat. (he fisherman smiled and said, "I catch
enough to su''ort my family, and I live a full and busy life.%
"I rise with the sun, fish a little, 'lay with my
daughters, have lunch with my family, and then teach
children how to fish before I stroll into the village
each evening, where I si' wine and 'lay guitar with
my wife and friends.%
")isten,% I said, "I have an MB*. I can hel' you vastly e+'and
your business. If you s'ent more time fishing, youd soon earn
enough to buy a bigger boat. ith a bigger boat, youd catch
enough fish to buy several, then a whole fleet. ,oud sell
directly to a 'rocessor, cutting out the middleman and greatly
increasing your 'rofits.
(he fisherman raised an eyebrow. "-ventually,% I said, "you
could o'en your own cannery and control the 'roduct,
'rocessing, and distribution, then relocate o'erations to the
ca'itol. If all goes well, youll likely find yourself in .ew ,ork
/ity, in control of a ra'idly e+'anding em'ire.%
"#ow long would all of this take$% the fisherman asked.
"&h, about ten to fifteen years,% I re'lied. "*nd then
what$% he asked. "ell, thats the best 'art,% I said.
",oud announce an I0& and sell stock to the 'ublic. *t
that 'oint, my friend, you would be very rich. * millionaire
many times over.%
(he fisherman 'aused.
"1eally, a millionaire$ (hen what$% he asked.
"hat do you mean$% I answered, a bit sur'rised.
"I mean,% he said, "hat would I do if I were a
millionaire$%
"hat kind of question is that$% I asked.
"hatever you like, of course.%
"I imagine youd retire, move to a coastal fishing village
where youd rise with the sun, fish a little, 'lay with your
granddaughters, have lunch with your family, and then
teach children to fish before strolling into the village each
evening, where youd si' wine and 'lay guitar with your
wife and friends.%
(he fisherman smiled and, without saying
another word, began to build a small fire.
(ogether we shared a taste of the delicious fish
and watched the sun go down over the ocean as
the sound of guitars rose from the village nearby.
atch the animated movie at our ebsite or on
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