why are you striving

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 did it took you to catch them?" The businessman asked.

"Only a little while." The fisherman replied.

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

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

"But," The businessman asked, "What do you do with the rest of your time?"

The fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life, sir."

The businessman scoffed, "I have a Harvard MBA and could help you. You could 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."

"Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the consumers, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York where you would run your expanding enterprise."

The fisherman asked, "But sir, how long will this all take?"

To which the businessman replied, "15-20 years."

"But what then, sir?"

The businessman laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO (Initial Public Offering) and sell your company stock to the public and become rich, you would make millions."

"Millions, sir? Then what?"

The businessman 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..."