One day, a wealthy businessman finally carved out a few minutes from his packed schedule and went for a walk along the beach. The sun was warm, the air smelled like salt and wind, and everything felt calm for once.
Suddenly he noticed a fisherman lying next to his small boat, smoking a pipe and watching the waves roll in.
“Why aren’t you out on the water?” the businessman asked, surprised.
“Already caught everything I need for today,” the fisherman replied calmly.
“But why not catch more?” the man insisted.
“More for what?” the fisherman shrugged. “I don’t need extra fish.”
“Well, think about it!” the businessman lit up. “You could sell the extra catch, make more money, buy a motor for your boat, go farther out, catch even more fish. Then you could buy better nets, earn even more, eventually get another boat… maybe even build a whole fleet! You could be as wealthy as I am one day!”
The fisherman looked at him and asked, still relaxed, “And then what?”
“Well,” the businessman said proudly, “then you could just lie on the beach, smoke your pipe, and enjoy life.”
The fisherman smiled and said slowly: “And what do you think I’m doing right now?”