success .: the making of :.

You've probably already heard the story of the Mexican fisherman. But in case you haven't, here it is:

An American businessman was standing 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 yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish. 

"How long it took you to catch them?" The American asked.

"Only a little while." The Mexican replied.

"Why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" The American then asked.

"I have enough to support my family's immediate needs." The Mexican said.

"But", the American then asked, "What do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican fisherman said: "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a 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, señor."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds you buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. And instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the consumers, eventually opening your own can factory. 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 New York where you will run your expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked: "But, señor, how long will this all take?"

To which the American replied: "15-20 years."

"But what then, señor?”

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 and become very rich, you would make millions."

"Millions, señor? Then what?"

The American said slowly, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos…"

***

from Stuff no one told me 

I was talking to a friend the other day about our plans for the future. She had been laid off a couple of days before and she was really disappointed at how (she thought) her career was heading nowhere. At some point of the conversation, she said something like: "Sometimes I feel I am never gonna be somebody". That statement really caught my attention. I mean… Really, dude??? Come on! Really??

I do understand why people care that much about their jobs. I do, really. Because I am ambitious and I do care. But I also know there is more to life than work and money. A lot more. My priorities in life are totally different at this point in my life, I guess - not that I am saying I am a better person for that. But I would never think I am a failure because I didn't turn out to be freakin' chief executive of a great company. I have heard the want-to-be-somebody speech from other people before. I know what they mean: there is nothing wrong with it per se. But I also feel like some people forget they should also succeed in their personal life (first - and if they have one). Or else they will be miserable all the same. Only they won't see it coming until it's too late – and it comes with interest.

Don't get me wrong: I think it is okay to want to become the next Bill Gates, the same way it is perfectly all right (and just as respectable) to be a stay-at-home mom or dad. I just don't understand how failing to be the best could ever cause anyone to believe they are losers.

I like what I do, you know. I don't wake up in the mornings in a bad mood because I have to go to work and I am really grateful not only because I have a job right now, but also because I am able to do something that I like. It feels a lot better that way. However, I don't work because I love to work. And neither do I work only because I have to. I do it because work should be part of everybody's life at some point. It defines your character, it helps you grow and accept responsibilities. Earning my own money has always been liberating and fortifying, but that's about it.

Now, luckily for me, work is only work: I work to live, I don't live to work. Work is only a small part of my life and it is a means to an end. If I lost my job or if my career didn't go the way I wanted, I would never feel that bad. I love life and everything in it. I guess things get a lot better when you have a successful personal life. It helps you think everything will be okay, even if it doesn't seem to.