Mindset
Have you ever heard this folk story about Pedro the Fisherman?
Standing on the dock unloading his day’s catch, Pedro is interrupted by a foreign tourist admiring his haul.
The tourist asks him politely, “Is this your catch for the day, quite impressive!?”
Pedro responds, “Why yes, we had a very good day.”
The tourist, interested in knowing more, asks, “Do you do this well every day?”
Pedro answers, “Some days better, some days worse, but most of the time, we have more than we need for the village.”
The tourist then asks, “What will you do now that your day is done?”
Pedro proclaims, “I will take a nice walk on the pier with my beautiful wife and enjoy the sunset.”
The tourist then exclaims, “Imagine how much fish you could catch if you had two boats!”
Pedro, “Two boats? And then what would I do?”
Tourist, “Well, with all the fish you would catch, you could buy more boats, you’d have a fleet!”
Pedro, “And then what would I do?”
Tourist, “You could catch more and more fish, and eventually, you could build a cleaning and canning plant and produce your own product for export.”
Pedro, “Sounds like a lot of work, what would I do then?”
Tourist, “You could build a distribution program and sell your products all over the world!”
Pedro, “And then what would I do?”
Tourist, “Eventually, you could sell the whole thing and retire!”
Pedro, “And then?”
Tourist, “You could take wonderful walks on the pier with your wife and watch the sunset each night.”
Pedro, “Hum?” as he scratches his head and walks away into the sunset.
Is Pedro successful by the standards of our culture today?
Our culture is represented by the tourist. The ambitious desire to have more, and more, but in the meantime, to be less and less present and connected to what matters now.
“Success is a progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” – Earl Nightingale.
For Pedro, the worthy ideal is the expression of his passion of being on the ocean each day, harvesting the fish, providing for his community and family, and enjoying the fruits of his labor with his wife each day.
Is the pursuit of a strong and successful business as the tourist would espouse not the pursuit of a worthy ideal?
The pursuit as an expression of a passion for the work, the creation of something that contributes to many, and supports the wellbeing of your fellow human could indeed be the pursuit of a worthy ideal.
But most often, as this tourist describes, the pursuit has less to do with contribution, and more to do with acquisition, accumulation, and an insatiable appetite for more.
Our responsibility on this earth is to be the best version of ourselves while we contribute to the greater good. What legacy will we create that matters most.
How will we create something of value, make a difference to those around us, and allow us to be present in the process?
That is the question of purpose.
