Doing What You [Really] Want

An MBA graduate visited a small village on his graduation trip and saw a lone man fishing by a pretty lake. Curious about the lives of such quaint folks, he asked the fisherman how he spends his days.

“Well I usually fish by the lake for about an hour or two, go home to feed my wife and kids and then we’ll spend the night singing as I strum along on my guitar.”

The MBA graduate was astounded by what appeared to be a lack of productivity, “Listen old man. I graduated from Harvard Business School, and I can tell you what to do to become filthy rich. You should really start by working longer hours and catching more fish.”

“I always catch enough to ensure that my family is well-fed…” The fisherman said. “Whatever would I do with all the surplus fish?”

“You could sell them in the market and earn a profit. Think about expanding the business altogether!” Exclaimed the graduate, now on such a roll that nothing could contain his excitement and his eagerness to share his new knowledge with the world, “With the profit, you can invest in better fishing equipment that will increase productivity. With all that money earned, you can outsource the actual fishing by hiring help. You’ll make more by managing the business. Hell, you could make millions!”

The fisherman nodded slowly. “And then what would I do with the millions?”

“And then – this is the best part – you retire!” Said the graduate, now glassy-eyed as he thought of his own retirement, some fifty years into the future. “Move to somewhere scenic and peaceful to spend quality time with your family, doing something you’ve always dreamed of doing. Isn’t there something you really love to do?”

The fisherman lifts his head to the sky and ponders for awhile. “Well I really like to play the guitar…”

The MBA graduate leaned forward.

“And I sure love fishing.” Said the fisherman.

–From one of my grad school readings.