A Lesson on Happiness from "The Fisherman and the Banker"
How to Live in the Moment and Let Go of the Rest
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When my cousin Frank Person turned 30, I asked him two questions.
Question 1: What is one thing you learned in your twenties that helped shape who you are? “Living more in the moment. The fisherman and the banker story sums it up pretty nicely.”
Question 2: What single goal do you have for your first year as a 30-year-old? “To savor every moment of our first year with our newborn son.”
I found his philosophy powerful for the following reasons:
Life moves fast and we must make the choice to be present and to appreciate and learn from each moment…the good, the bad, and the unexpected.
The Stoics separated what we can control from that which we cannot. Focus on the overlap between what matters and what you can control — let go of the rest. As Marcus Aurelius said, “If you are pained by any external thing, it is not this thing that disturbs you, but your own judgment about it. And it is in your power to wipe out this judgment now.”
Do not waste your most precious resource — time. Capitalize on being a “time billionaire” by staying present every second. Having a billion seconds is priceless. (Read more via Pomp).
The New Year is upon us and it is the perfect opportunity to reflect, be present, and practice gratitude.
Frank’s mention of the fisherman and the banker story was my first time hearing it (see below). A powerful perspective wrapped in a simple story.
The Fisherman And The Banker
by AnonymousA vacationing American businessman standing on the pier of a quaint coastal fishing village in southern Mexico watched as a small boat with just one young Mexican fisherman pulled into the dock. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. Enjoying the warmth of the early afternoon sun, the American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.
“How long did it take you to catch them?” the American casually asked.
“Oh, a few hours,” the Mexican fisherman replied.
“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” the American businessman then asked.
The Mexican warmly replied, “With this I have more than enough to meet my family’s needs.”
The businessman then became serious, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”
Responding with a smile, the Mexican fisherman answered, “I sleep late, play with my children, watch ball games, and take siesta with my wife. Sometimes in the evenings I take a stroll into the village to see my friends, play the guitar, sing a few songs…”
The American businessman impatiently interrupted, “Look, I have an MBA from Harvard, and I can help you to be more profitable. You can start by fishing several hours longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra money, you can buy a bigger boat. With the additional income that larger boat will bring, before long you can buy a second boat, then a third one, and so on, until you have an entire fleet of fishing boats.”
Proud of his own sharp thinking, he excitedly elaborated a grand scheme which could bring even bigger profits, “Then, instead of selling your catch to a middleman you’ll be able to sell your fish directly to the processor, or even open your own cannery. Eventually, you could control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this tiny coastal village and move to Mexico City, or possibly even Los Angeles or New York City, where you could even further expand your enterprise.”
Having never thought of such things, the Mexican fisherman asked, “But how long will all this take?”
After a rapid mental calculation, the Harvard MBA pronounced, “Probably about 15–20 years, maybe less if you work really hard.”
“And then what, señor?” asked the fisherman.
“Why, that’s the best part!” answered the businessman with a laugh. “When the time is right, you would sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions.”
“Millions? Really? What would I do with it all?” asked the young fisherman in disbelief.
The businessman boasted, “Then you could happily retire with all the money you’ve made. You could move to a quaint coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, play with your grandchildren, watch ball games, and take siesta with your wife. You could stroll to the village in the evenings where you could play the guitar and sing with your friends all you want.”
What I also found compelling is the fisherman’s appreciation for nature. Some of my most present moments have been unexpected encounters in the ocean, meeting a Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle while boogie-boarding or a pair of colorful Reef Triggerfish (aka Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa) while snorkeling. When I revisit this story, I imagine the art below that my wife and I once stumbled upon wandering Oahu’s North Shore (artist: Jonas Claesson).
Focus on and prioritize what makes you happy. Live Aloha.
“The goal of life is to live in harmony with nature, which means to live according to virtue because nature leads us to virtue.” — Zeno, Stoic Philosopher.
Thanks to Frank for the inspiration and to Catherine for editing! If you enjoy this content, join our community and sign up to receive future emails directly in your inbox. And, if you have ideas you want to share, tweet at me!
“Fly High, Burn Bright, Be Curious.”