Stop Fishing So Hard

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Sometimes you must read something because the title is so engaging. For example, Adrian Drew’s article, “How to Live an Unhappy Life,” caught my eye. Within the article, Drew tells the following story:

I once read a wonderful little story written by Paulo Coelho about a fisherman and a businessman. I’ll paraphrase it below.

There was once a businessman who was sitting by the beach in a small Brazilian village. As he sat, he saw a fisherman rowing a small boat towards the shore having caught quite few big fish.

The businessman was impressed and asked the fisherman, “How long does it take you to catch so many fish?”

“Oh, just a short while.”

“Then why don’t you stay longer at sea and catch even more?” The businessman was astonished.

“This is enough to feed my whole family,” the fisherman said.

The businessman then asked, “So, what do you do for the rest of the day?”

“I am a PhD in business management. I could help you to become a more successful person. From now on, you should spend more time at sea and try to catch as many fish as possible. When you have saved enough money, you could buy a bigger boat and catch even more fish.”

“And after that?”

“After that, you can finally retire, you can move to a house by the fishing village, wake up early in the morning, catch a few fish, then return home to play with your kids.”

The fisherman was puzzled. “Isn’t that what I am doing now?”

We can strive so hard; we forget to live. I received my undergraduate degree in three years. Four years later, I held a master’s degree and an Ordination certificate. By age thirty, I had my doctorate, was married and a father. My story is not unique. We put our heads down and push ahead on the road to success. Without success, there is no happiness or fulfillment. Suddenly, you look up and are just a few years from retirement. What happened? When did I get old? Where did my life go?

Each stage of one’s life requires reflection. God calls us to reflect on gratitude. Even during the most challenging times, there are moments of joy when God carries you through difficulty, making you stronger, wiser, and more self-sufficient. Don’t fish so long you forget to live now! Success is recognizing the blessings in your life at every moment.