Modern Parables
The Fisherman and the Businessman
Today’s story wasn’t chosen by me. It was handed to me, twice, from two different sources. That’s usually a sign that God wants me to hear something. And if that’s the case, I don’t want to leave you out. Maybe He wants you to hear it too!
It’s a story you may have heard. But it’s worth repeating.
There was a well-to-do American businessman in desperate need of a vacation. After pushing off a calendar full of meetings and responsibilities, he carved out time for a trip with his wife and kids to the Caribbean. They rented a beachside villa, packed their bags, and set off for a week of rest.
On their first day there, while sipping a drink under the sun, the businessman noticed a local fisherman heading to the beach. The man was skilled. Casting his line with ease, catching five large fish within a short time. Then, just as simply, he packed up and left.
The businessman noticed the same man return later in the day...this time with his family, laughing and enjoying the sunshine. The next day? Same routine. Catch a few fish. Head home. Spend time with loved ones.
By the third day, curiosity got the better of the businessman, and he struck up a conversation.
“I’ve watched you,” he said. “You catch just a few fish each day, then you’re done.”
The fisherman smiled. “It’s enough. A few for my family, a few to sell. We live comfortably.”
The businessman, intrigued, saw an opportunity.
“You know,” he began, “if you stayed out longer, caught more, you could sell more. In a month or two, you could afford a bigger boat. Then a second one. Eventually, you could build a small fleet, hire other fishermen, and grow a real operation.”
The fisherman raised an eyebrow. “And then?”
“Well,” the businessman continued, “you could start a distribution business, or open a restaurant. Then, once you scale enough, you wouldn’t have to fish at all. You’d just manage the company, maybe hire someone to do that, too.”
The fisherman smiled again. “And then what?”
“Then,” said the businessman with a sense of triumph, “You could relax. Spend time with your family. Enjoy the sunshine. Do what makes you happy.”
The fisherman chuckled and replied, “Sir… that’s what I’m doing right now.”
This modern-day parable is a gentle challenge to how we view success and contentment. I’ll be honest, I’m someone who sees good in chasing excellence. I've push hard throughout my career. Often to the point of exhaustion, but that's for another article. I believe in using our gifts fully and don't see anything wrong with that.
But I’ve noticed something: I tend to lose focus when I care more about what’s next than what’s now.
Maybe you’ve experienced that, too.
The truth is, God wants to meet us right where we are. Not just in the big plans for someday, but in the small, sacred moments of today. In the mundane. In the normal. In the overlooked.
Business teaches us to plan ahead. Next month’s pipeline, next quarter’s forecast, next year’s growth. And that’s not a bad thing. But don’t miss the ride. Don’t exchange what is for what could be.
I’m grateful this story found me again today. And I hope it reaches you the way it reached me.
Have a fabulous weekend. Enjoy your family. Soak in the sunshine.
-Mark
