Happiness Starts with Enjoyment
It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.
~ Charles Spurgeon
A consultant was on holiday, visiting a Caribbean fishing village, when he noticed a fishing boat dock at the quayside. The fisherman began unloading his catch and the consultant could not help but notice the high quality of the fish he was carrying.
The consultant asked, “How long did it take to catch those fish?”
“Not very long” answered the fisherman.
“Why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?” asked the consultant.
The fisherman explained that his small catch met his needs and those of his family.
The consultant asked, “Well then, what do you do with the rest of your time?”
The fisherman replied, “I sleep late, play with my children, fish a little, and take a nap under a coconut tree. In the evenings, I catch up with my friends, have a few drinks, and play a game or two. I have a very full and happy life.”
“Look here…” the consultant said. “I have an MBA from Harvard and I think I can help you. You should start by fishing longer hours. You can sell the extra fish and buy a bigger boat. With all the extra fish you catch on that bigger boat – you can buy another boat to catch more fish. Soon you will have a whole fleet and instead of selling your fish to the middle man – you can name your price with the processing plants and maybe even open up your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to the city and direct you huge enterprise.”
“How long would that take?” asked the fisherman.
“Oh, ten maybe fifteen years.” replied the consultant.
“And after that?” asked the fisherman.
The consultant smiled and said, “That’s when it gets really good. When your business gets really big, you can start selling shares in your company and make millions!”
The fisherman said, “Really – millions? And what about after that?”
The consultant replied, “Well after that you’ll be able to retire, move out to a small village by the sea, sleep late, see your family, fish a little, take a nap under a coconut tree, catch up with your friends, and play a game or two.”
What we spend our life doing matters much more than what we gain by doing it. Don’t get me wrong. I too want a nice house, a nice car, and some luxuries in life. The question is – at what expense? Would you choose to live 30 years doing something so you can finally enjoy life – or find something you love and enjoy life while doing it?
If you are not doing something you enjoy, you may want to consider doing something different. If you enjoy what you have today, and you enjoy what you do tomorrow - happiness is sure to follow!
For help looking at career tracks which compliment your personality - contact us at sean@seankaufman.com
