Chasing the wind, Part 2, “Striving for Money”

Chasing the wind, Part 2, “Striving for Money”

While it is only natural to look at our wages and our paychecks — after all, they put food on the talbe –an obsession with money and employment leads to wrong-headed decisions.
One foolish way to work is to do it solely for money.

If you choose a job based strictly on the salary, you will be disappointed!

This story illustrates it best:

An American businessman was at the pier of 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 to catch them. The man replied “only a little while.”

The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish?

“I have enough to support my family,” the fisherman said.

The businessman asked him what he did with the rest of his.

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?”

The American grinned 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 and become very rich, you would make millions.”

“Millions, senor? 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.”

What do you think? Have you ever picked a job for money, and then regretted it? Tell your story here.

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