Speak Up! Friday Quotes (7)

“Indeed, man wishes to be happy even when he so lives as to make happiness impossible” – St. Augustine.

“If only we’d stop trying to be happy we could have a pretty good time” – Edith Wharton.

“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present” – Jim Rohn.

“Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose” – Helen Keller.

Wise Tale: The Fisherman and the Businessman

One day a fisherman cast his line out into the sparkling sea, laid back in his chair, and soaked in the warmth of the sun and the possibility of catching a fish.

A businessman came along and questioned why the fisherman wasn’t working harder to make a better life for his family and himself. To the businessman, the fisherman needed to find a better way to catch the fish, not lie out on the beach, casually waiting for the fish to come.

He voiced his concerns to the fisherman, who smiled and asked what rewards would come from working harder. The businessman stood straighter, ever eager to share. He suggested getting bigger nets to get more fish (the reward). But again, the fisherman asked what his reward would be then.

Flabbergasted, the businessman exclaimed the prospect of making more money, buying a boat, catching more fish, and making more money! The fisherman kept to the same question. “What will my reward be?”

The businessman wouldn’t let this go. “I told you,” he said, stretching each word out. “A boat. More money. You can even hire workers.”

“I understand, but what will my reward be?” the fisherman asked.

The businessman’s skin prickled and became hot; it wasn’t from the dying sun. “You clearly don’t understand. Working harder will get you better means to catch fish. That boat will lead to more money and employees. One day, you can own a fleet of boats, sail to farther places, and get those workers to catch — you — more — fish.”

The fisherman inhaled a long breath. “But what will my reward be?”

Redfaced, the businessman sneered and curled his fists. “You’ll become rich and secure your family, you lazy twit! You’ll never have to make a living again. You’ll be able to take beach vacations and enjoy the sunset with a cocktail. You’ll be free! No worries!”

The fisherman smiled. “How is that different from what I’m doing now?”