Sometimes people come into our lives and we know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some purpose, whether it is to teach us a lesson, or to help us figure out, who we are or who we want to be. Sometimes things happen to us that seem horrible, painful or unfair, but on reflection we find that, without overcoming those obstacles, we would never have realised our potential, strength, willpower or heart.
The people we meet who affect our lives, the success and downfalls we experience, help to create who we are and who we become. If someone loves you, give love back to them in whatever way you can, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things. If someone hurts you, betrays you, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart.
Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again.
Talk to people that you have never talked to before and listen to what they have to say.
The Fisherman
A vacationing American businessman who was standing on the pier of a quaint coastal fishing village in Connemara when a small boat with just one young fisherman aboard pulled into the dock,
Inside the small boat were several large salmon. The American complimented the Galway man on the quality of his fish.
“How long did it take you to catch them?” the American casually asked.
“Oh, a few hours,” the Galway man replied.
“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” the American then asked.
“With this, I have more than enough to support my family’s needs,” the Galway man said.
The businessman then became serious. “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”
Responding with a smile, the Galway man answered, “I sleep late, play with my children, watch football games, and take a siesta with my wife. Sometimes, in the evenings, I take a stroll into the village to see my friends, play the guitar and sing a few songs.”
The American 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 additional income that larger boat will bring, you can then buy a second boat, a third one, and so on, until you have an entire fleet of fishing boats. 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 Galway City, where you could even further expand your enterprise.”
Having never thought of such things, the Galway man asked, “But how long will all this take?”
After a rapid mental calculation, the businessman pronounced “Probably about 15 to 20 years, maybe less if you work really hard.”
“And then what?” asked the Galway 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.”
“What would I do with it all?” asked the Galway man. 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 children, watch football games, take a siesta with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could play the guitar and sing with your friends all you want.”
Thought for the week
As your thought for the week, think about what is important and what really matters in your life. You may find that it is already much closer than you think.
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- Ronan Scully
