Early Retirement
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Loading ...For the retiring among you
This story reminds us of what we strive, for perhaps what acheivement really means, it sets out a value system, and challenges it…
A boat docked in a tiny African coastal village.
An tourist complimented a local fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
“Not very long,” answered the man.
“But then, why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?” asked the tourist.
He explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.
The Tourist asked, “But what do you do with all your time?”
“I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the drums, and sing a few songs…I have a full life.”
The Tourist interrupted, “I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you to a better life.
You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers.
Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant.”
“And after that?” asked the fisherman.
“You can then leave this little village and move to the Capital, or London , or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge enterprise.”
“How long would that take?” asked the fisherman.
“Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years,” replied the Tourist with the MBA. “And after that?”
“Afterwards? That’s when it gets really interesting,” answered the Tourist, laughing. “When your business gets really big, you can start selling stock and make millions!”
“Millions? Really? And after that?”
“After that — and this is the best part — you’ll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, catch a few fish, take a siesta, and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying life with your friends!” ….
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