A tourist went to Mexico and praised the local fishermen for the quality of their fish. Then he asked them, "How much time do you need to catch them?" The fishermen answered in unison, "Not a long time." The tourist asked, "Why don't you spend more time and catch more?" The fishermen explained that their small catch is enough for their needs and the needs of their families. The tourist asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" They replied, "We sleep late, fish a little, play with our children, eat with our wives, and in the evening, we visit our friends. We have fun, laugh, and sing songs." The tourist interrupted, saying, "I have a Master's degree in Business Administration from Harvard University, and I can help you! You should spend long periods fishing every day and sell the extra fish for higher returns. Then, you can buy a bigger fishing boat." They asked, "What then?" The tourist replied, "With a larger boat and extra money, you can buy a second and third boat, and so on, until you have a complete fleet of fishing vessels. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you can negotiate directly with factories and maybe even open your own factory. You can leave this village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York! From there, you can manage your large-scale projects." The fishermen asked the tourist, "How long will that take?" He answered, "Around 20 or maybe 25 years." They asked, "And what comes after that?" Smiling, he replied, "When your business grows, you can invest in stocks and make millions." They asked in amazement, "Millions? Really?" Then they questioned, "What do we do after that?" He replied, "After that, you can retire and live peacefully in a coastal village, sleep late, play with your children, eat with your wives, and spend your nights enjoying time with friends." The fishermen responded with respect and appreciation, but they said, "That's exactly what we are doing now. So, what logic is there in wasting 25 years of our lives in hardship?" The moral of the story is that many of us exhaust our energy and neglect our families, health, and even our eternal life for the sake of temporary luxuries, thinking that these luxuries will bring us happiness. However, the value of true happiness may only be realized when our strength wanes and the spring of life comes to an end.
