girl beach: Have the foresight of a content fisherman

MY PAPER THURSDAY JUNE 17, 2010, A15, VIEWPOINTS
From: http://myepaper.mypaper.sg/ebook/web_php/fvbrowserjs.php?urljs=http://myepaper.mypaper.sg/ecreator/sphopf/mya170610cnd_opf_files/mya170610cnd.js&ver=Gen
BY GEOFF TAN

PHOTO: http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200901/r329233_1481825.jpg

PHOTO: GEOFF TAN
MY PAPER THURSDAY JUNE 17, 2010, A15, VIEWPOINTS

Since I started writing for this newspaper more than two years ago, I have been encouraged by readers who say that the stories I related helped them.

I am grateful to readers who have sent me inspirational anecdotes.

One such example that I will relate is a story about a young businessman and a fisherman.

PHOTO: http://www.spokenstories.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/boosaaso51.jpg

Complimenting the fisherman on the quality of his catch, the businessman asked how long it took to haul in the fish.

“Only a little while,” the fisherman replied.

The young man asked: “Why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?”

The content fisherman said: “This is enough to support my family’s needs. I don’t need any more.”

“But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

“I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a walk with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my buddies. I have a full and busy life.”

PHOTO: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkafu9MSkN0xwrVNtuVBaAPmUNH81nPLg9RuErgwZqMHFTwmMwx8YBrCV0XwsE_mhuxHF0IQuFF-mj7AEV9gR3F0FKcB0ncSaxBFRn2EwSNr2HMi3F1bTl5CLRdcV6wpbC2x6j1yYX7ddj/s1600/apo1.jpg

The young chap scoffed: “I have a Harvard MBA and can help you. Spend more time fishing and, with the proceeds from your catch, buy a bigger boat.

“Using the proceeds earned from hauling in more fish with the bigger boat, you can buy several boats and, eventually, own a fishing fleet.

“Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you can sell the fish directly to a processor, and open your own cannery eventually.

"You will then be in control of the product, processing and distribution.

“You will have to leave this small village and move to a city to run your expanding enterprise.

"This will take 15 to 20 years.”

The fisherman asked: “But what then?”

“That’s the best part. When the time is right, you announce an IPO, sell your company’s stock and become very rich.”

“Then what?”

“Then you would retire, move to a small village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a walk with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings and sip wine and play guitar with your buddies.”

PHOTO: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/28783/28783-h/images/illus270.jpg

PHOTO: http://sjprojektai.com/en/nuotraukos/sodo_nameliai_d_2.jpg

You see, when we rush to fulfill our financial goals, we sometimes do not realise that we already have what we hope to achieve at the end of the day.

While it is true that this does not apply to all, for some of us, the “roses” were already there at the start.

PHOTO: http://www.adrants.com/images/bogworld_09_vegas_dancing_girls.JPG

PHOTO: http://media.herald-dispatch.com/blog/tuned/uploaded_images/Brothers-and-Sisters-747803.JPG

Perhaps we have been too busy scaling up the career ladder to notice the roses strewn across our path.

It is sad when I hear of people who fail to reach their intended destinations, and who chalk up a host of health complications and disappointments along the way.

BY GEOFF TAN

The writer is a senior vice president of Singapore Press Holdings’ marketing division.

PHOTO: http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200901/r329233_1481825.jpg

HELPDESK
我的字典: Wǒ de zì diǎn

Complimenting: 赞美 zàn měi
Proceeds: 收入 shōu rù
Cannery: 罐头食品厂 guàn tóu shí pǐn chǎng
Strewn: 撒满的 sǎ mǎn de