I often wonder about us, humans and how confused and yet all-knowing we tend to be.
We carry on like we know everything but, we end up completely missing what is right there in front of us; screaming and waving at us to see it but in our seriousness to make something of life, in our certainty that life is this very serious thing that needs to be conquered, that needs mighty degrees and lofty all important sounding titles, we miss the very things we claim to be searching for.
Read the parable/fable below, (while it’s fictional, it is an accurate depiction of our existence) to get the drift of what I’m saying;
A Harvard businessman vacationing in a coastal village notices a fisherman returning with his catch. Impressed by the quality of the fish, he strikes up a conversation with the fisherman.
Businessman: "How long did it take you to catch those fish?"
Fisherman: "Not long, maybe a couple of hours."
Businessman: "Why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish? With a bigger catch, you could make more money and buy a bigger boat. With a bigger boat, you could catch even more fish and make more money. Eventually, you could have a fleet of boats and hire others to fish for you. You'd become rich and could retire early to enjoy life."
The fisherman: "But how long would all of this take?"
Businessman: "20-25 years"
The fisherman, pondering the businessman's advice, asks, "But what would I do then?"
Businessman: "You could spend your days fishing, enjoying the ocean breeze, and relaxing with your family."
The fisherman smiles and replies, "But sir, isn't that what I'm already doing?"
Why would one go about such a roundabout way to enjoy what was already there from the beginning?
It got me thinking about the following, what contentment means and the relativity of it. Success and how we should be defining it both from a personal and societal level. What does happiness mean when laid side by side with what our priorities in life should be?
I know that most people, me included know exactly what we don’t want but if what we did want or imagine we want were right in front of us, we probably won’t recognise it.
Do we know why we do the things we do? The reason we want all of the things we want? And keep chasing after more? Is there a point where we feel like our “thirst” has been satisfied? Or is the "gauge" broken so that we keep filling the tank and it has no way of telling us the tank is full and spilling over and we are all so distracted that we can’t see all that is spilling over and onto the floor?
That’s it. A lot to think about.
Keep going,
Ije
This is quite deep. Got me really thinking about what I had and lost because I was pursuing what I thought I wanted.
I love that fable and often weigh major life decisions through that lens. When I do that, I find out that more isn't always better
I also realize that I have all that I need currently so why give up the things I NEED in pursuit of the things I WANT ?
We all have to be intentional in defining success for ourselves and not the way society portrays success.
Thanks for the reminder Ije