The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman: Life Choices Explained

The Mexican fisherman illustrates that true success is defining and pursuing one's own desires, not societal expectations.

### The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman: Redefining Success in Life
* 🌊 In mid-2020, during the COVID lockdown, I found myself in a period of reflection, realizing my life needed a change amidst an **early life crisis**.
* 🎣 Consuming various content led me to the impactful story of the Mexican fisherman, which highlights **two different ways of living life**.
* 👔 An American businessman encounters a fisherman who catches **enough fish in a short time** to support his family for the day, leading to a conversation about **ambition and success**.
* 💭 The businessman suggests that by working harder, the fisherman could **become wealthy and live a life of leisure later**, but the fisherman questions the need for such a pursuit.
* 🍷 The fisherman’s ideal life already includes **sleeping late**, spending time with his family, and enjoying leisurely evenings with friends, which the businessman ultimately realizes is what he could have **now**.
* 💡 The story emphasizes that true success lies in **defining your own desires and pursuing them**, rather than conforming to societal expectations of wealth and success.
* 🗝 "True success is defining what you want and doing it," which can mean different things to different people, from **building an empire** to **enjoying simple pleasures**.
* 📹 Thanks to this perspective, I now create YouTube content daily, embracing a life that aligns with my **true desires**.

there's two ways you can live your life. Let me explain. So, it's mid-2020, COVID is happening, lockdown is happening, early life crisis is happening. I'm using the spare time to overthink absolutely everything, and as a consequence, there's a very interesting period between me realizing my life needs to change and me figuring out how my life was going to change. I think most people call it lost. Now, during that period, I was consuming a lot of stuff, trying to figure out what was going on and what the hell I was going to do. And while there was a lot of useful stuff, there's one story that will always stick with me. It's called the parable of the Mexican fisherman. And while some of you may have heard of it, I think most miss what it's really about. So, an American businessman was on holiday in a small coastal Mexican village, and on his morning walk, he saw a fisherman returning from sea with a few large fish. Impressed, he asked, How long did it take you to catch those?

fisherman smiled and replied, Not long. Then why didn't you stay out longer and catch more? asked the businessman. The fisherman thought for a moment, then said, Well, I'll take these to the market, sell them, keep one for myself, and then I'll have enough to support me and my family for the day. The businessman, slightly surprised by the answer, then asked, Well, what are you going to do with the rest of your day? The fisherman smiled again. I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, and stroll into the village every evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my friends. The businessman almost interrupted and said, But if you spent more time fishing, you'd catch more fish. With the extra money, you could buy a bigger boat. Then you'd catch even more fish, buy even more boats, and eventually, you'd have a fleet. You could then start sending supplies in Mexico and worldwide. You'd be rich in no time. The fisherman paused and asked, Why would I do that? The businessman replied, Well

you'd be rich. But why? asked the Fishman, almost slightly amused. The businessman said, Well, if you work hard a few years down the line, you'll be so rich you'll be able to do whatever you want. Like what? said the fisherman. The businessman shrugged. Well, anything you want. You could sleep late, fish a little, play with your children, take siestas with your wife, and stroll into the village every evening where you could sip wine and play guitar with your friends. Such a good story. And the first time I heard it, it was an animated version on YouTube. And as soon as I found it, I scrolled down to the comments to see what everyone else was saying, and I was surprised that everyone was talking about money. Financial responsibility is key. Live within your means. Know what's enough. And while that's certainly part of it, it wasn't what I got from the story. In an alternate reality, the fisherman could have wanted to spend more time fishing, buy a bigger boat, catch more fish, have a fleet, sell worldwide, and get rich.

and that would have been fine if that's what he genuinely wanted to do. Before hearing this story, I thought there was only one path: slave away today so you can live for tomorrow. But it turns out that isn't the only option. True success is defining what you want and doing it, whatever that might be. That may be building a fishing empire, or it may be sipping wine and playing guitar. It's up to you, but if you don't, someone else will do it for you, and there's a good chance it won't be what you want. And yeah, thanks to the Mexican fisherman, I'm here uploading YouTube videos every day, and I wouldn't have it any other way. All right, have a good weekend. See you on Monday.

Define your own path (or someone else will)

Jay Alto

The narrator reflects on a life-changing period during the COVID lockdown, where they encountered the story of a Mexican fisherman.

The fisherman catches enough fish to support his family for the day and spends the rest of his time enjoying life, while the businessman suggests a more ambitious approach to wealth.

The fisherman's response questions the need for such a pursuit, highlighting the importance of a balanced and fulfilling life.

The businessman suggests that hard work will lead the fisherman to wealth and a life of leisure.

The fisherman, however, questions the need for that path, as he already enjoys a simple and fulfilling life.

The story highlights the different perspectives on success and the importance of knowing what truly brings happiness.

True success lies in defining what you genuinely want to do, rather than following a traditional path.

It's important to pursue your own desires, whether it's building an empire or enjoying a simple life.

If you don't take charge of your own goals, someone else will, and it may not align with what you truly want.