“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo da Vinci.

Last week, my wife and I had a lovely break in North Wales. After quite a demanding period, it was nice to have a chance to relax and recharge in beautiful surroundings.

The weather was warm and sunny so therefore we were able to spend lots of time outdoors and cherish the beauty of nature. During the week, I reflected on how lovely it was to enjoy some simple things like walk on the beautiful cliff tops. We had some walks in forests, walked on some beautiful beaches and listened to the sound of the waves coming in. We also ate some ice creams!

I concluded that simple things in life can bring so much pleasure.

We get so caught up with work, family commitments, pursuing goals and earning money that it’s so easy to lose sight of the value of stopping and focusing on simple pleasures. Sometimes these things don’t cost a great deal of money but bring a lot of joy and good feelings. Quite often the best things in life are free!

Life can get so busy that we can have limited time to enjoy the simple and important things in life. It’s easy to take these for granted. As I watched some men bring their catch ashore in crates at the beautiful beach of Porthdinllaen on the Llyn Peninsular, it reminded me of the story of the Mexican Fisherman.

The Mexican Fisherman

A US businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican fishing village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the boat were several large yellow-fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, “Only a little while, senor.” The American asked why he didn’t stay out longer and catch more fish. The Mexican said that he had enough to supply his family’s immediate needs.

The American then asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The fisherman said, “I play with my children, take a siesta with my wife Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos.   I have a full and busy life, senor.”

The American smiled, “I have a Harvard MBA-that’s a degree in business studies – I could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat, with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet. Then instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would, of course, need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York City where you would run your expanding enterprise.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, senor, how long would all this take?”

The American replied, “Fifteen to twenty years.”

“But what then, senor?”

The American laughed, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you sell your stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions.”

“Millions, senor? But then what?”

“Then you would retire, move to a small coasting fishing village, where you could sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife Maria, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with the amigos.”

With just the hint of a twinkle in his eye, the fisherman said, “Senor – are these business degrees hard to get?”

This week, why not pause for a few moments and consider what steps you can take to bring greater balance to your life.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk