Q: Are you a success?
A: Its all in how you define the word!
An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican Village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.
Inside the boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The banker complimented Miguel, the Mexican, on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. Miguel replied that it took only a little while.
The banker then asked why he didn't stay out longer and catch more fish. Miguel said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. The banker then asked, But what do you do with the rest of your time?
Miguel said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take 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 banker scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and 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 of fishing boats.
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 need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."
Miguel asked, "But senor, how long will this all take?"
To which the banker replied, "15-20 years."
But what then, senor?
The banker laughed and said "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce a public listing and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions."
"Millions, senor? Then what?"
The banker said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings, where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
What is your definition of success and how are you getting there?
As the story of Miguel so eloquently illustrates, life success is so closely tied to our values and the way that we want to live our lives. We can easily lose direction and what is truly important to us by being drawn to what success means to other people, ideologies, or pop culture. Being clear on what success means to you and how you are working toward it is EVERYTHING!
Check Yourself
Take a moment to ponder the direction that your current choices are leading you in your life, career, relationships, and health.
Now, make sure you are clear that how you are living in relation to each area is how you ought to be living according to your personal values. You may need to first get clear about your values in each area. Hint: grab a pen and paper for this one.
Finally, identify one step you could take in each of the four areas that would bring you closer, or more fully into, what is truly successful in these areas.
Just as the investment banker believed that Miguel should live by the bankers definition of success, so do we often live our lives by a completely different definition of success than we truly ought.
A thoughtful check of your internal map and compass could start small changes that can take you to destinations as different as Wall Street is to a small fishing village in Mexico!
? 2004 by Dr. Robert A. Eubanks
Article URL: http://www.bridgetosolutions.com/pages/8/index.htm
Terms of use: This article may be published electronically or in print, as long as the byline at the end of the article is included without alteration.
About The Author
Dr. Robert A. Eubanks is the founder of Bridge to Solutions Coaching. He coaches people around the country via telephone to improve organization, time management, goal setting and to create the best darn life possible!
For a free 30 minute coaching session, e-mail http://www.bridgetosolutions.com/pages/8/index.htm or visit http://www.bridgetosolutions.com/pages/8/index.htm.
top rated cleaning service Lake Forest ..We were at some friend's house the other day and... Read More
If you've been walking this earth for any length of... Read More
Recently I stumbled across a list of Microsoft Interview questions... Read More
Bill is a man for the people, of the people... Read More
How many of you have ever thought about the link... Read More
"One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key... Read More
One of the questions that I am asked most often... Read More
There's always a first time to meeting people. We want... Read More
1. Believe in yourself and what it is you do.... Read More
"The principal purpose of business is to create a customer."... Read More
Sometimes short cuts are not worth taking. They may bring... Read More
I succeeded. I achieved my goal. I am successful. I... Read More
Dr. Wayne Dyer published his best-selling book, "10 Secrets for... Read More
A Lifelong Learning Plan is a conscious, continuous engagement in... Read More
Many among us, on many instances, have the habit of... Read More
Ever have those days where no matter what you try... Read More
I confess, I love westerns. There is nothing like those... Read More
People like to emerge as winners by hook or crook... Read More
Successful people set ambitious goals. But the high standards and... Read More
Many of us have lost sight of what we really... Read More
Multi-task goal-completion work with everyday, "have to" activities If you... Read More
The most important quality you can ever develop is having... Read More
"The secret of success is to make what you are... Read More
Success is creating what you want the way you want... Read More
You must understand You are already a Success, and before... Read More
insured cleaning company Morton Grove ..Few books have impacted my perspective on human psychologically and... Read More
1. Believe in yourself and what it is you do.... Read More
There are certain laws that when obeyed will bring great... Read More
Take a page from Eastern wisdom Meditation, martial arts that... Read More
Choose "impossible" goals When faced with a hard-to-reach goal, your... Read More
1. Clearly define what you want and what is most... Read More
I spoke to a group of salespeople in Kansas City... Read More
The title of this article also happens to be the... Read More
Following are a series of questions I needed to ask... Read More
You may not realise it yet but you may have... Read More
OK, so here we are. We've switched the calendars out... Read More
Congratulations! You are the president of your own nation, and... Read More
Did you see or hear about 'The Masters' golf tournament... Read More
Have you ever met people who exude charm and charisma?... Read More
The gambling instinct is in every man or woman. All... Read More
This summer (2005) huge crowds in England and Australia have... Read More
Many of us have lost sight of what we really... Read More
Want to be successful in whatever it is you choose... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Are you getting frustrated because the work you continue to... Read More
Are you:- feeling unfulfilled and dissatisfied with your life?- ready... Read More
* Perfectionism is a time waster.Strive for excellence on important... Read More
Hello everybody and a good day (or night !) to... Read More
Courage is something that is reflected and reciprocated, and is... Read More
What is "success"? Why does it seem everyone wants "success"?... Read More
Success |