Going Fishing

Small waves lapped against the shore as faint cries from seagulls echoed in the distance.

I listened as two guys talked behind me, one telling the other a story about a fisherman who only worked one hour a day and consistently caught 3 fish. I closed my eyes and let the sun kiss my skin as I listened in.

Every day the fisherman would head for his boat, fish for one hour, catch his 3 fish, then return home to his family.

After a few weeks of this routine, another fisherman called out to him.

"Why are you leaving already? You catch 3 fish everyday within an hour! Why would you leave so soon? Imagine what you could catch if you stayed out here for 3 or 4 or 5 hours?! You could catch enough fish to sell and buy whatever you need!"

The other fisherman smiled and looked at him. "I catch 3 fish in one hour...that is enough work for one day. I have a home and a family-I don't need anymore."

In life, are you the first fisherman or the second? Are you constantly pushing yourself to achieve bigger and better goals? When you meet them do you feel fulfilled? "Hungry" for more? Or do you feel guilty for focusing so much energy and attention to one aspect of your life while others may have been neglected?

Have you figured out that balance between work, family time, hobbies, and a social life? If you're anything like me, you struggle with saying "no" and often end up taking on more than you can handle.

I remember feeling very humbled by the first fisherman's modesty and simple lifestyle. Too often I think we get caught up in the "more mentality" like the second fisherman- focusing on obtaining more "likes", more clothes, more friends...While I can certainly respect the "hustle," as I'm getting older I'm realizing "quality" is so much better than "quantity."