'True' wealth
What it means to me. And a parable about a fisherman and a businessman
Hi! This is Leyla from A Day Well Spent, a newsletter seeking pathways to more purposeful living.
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I have close to zero interest in politics.
Wait, let me check that.
Oh, it is actually zero.
It’s not that I don’t care how the country is run. It’s just that — let’s face it — politicians don’t have the best reputation. I have accepted that a lot of them lie and so I mostly don’t bother listening to what they have to say. Which is a shame, because I am sure there are some very good and sincere eggs amongst them, even if they are in the minority.
Having said that, I greatly appreciate the struggles that have passed in lives gone by in order for me to be able to vote. And so, I will be exercising my civic duty on 4th July and voting in the UK’s general election.
(don’t worry, this isn’t a column about politics)
In preparation for this, I’ve been reading up on the party manifestos1. I’ve previously heard the adage ‘running a country is like running a business’ and as someone who rarely encounters the language and jargon of politics, I’ve found reading through these manifestos quite eye openening.
There is so much language used that concerns money. Words like investment, debt, cuts, spending, taxes, trade, interest, GDP, funding, savings, growth, fees, loans. All references to economic wealth.
I appreciate in real terms, money makes the world go round. Money is the universal currency with which everything is traded. We all need money to live and I speak from a place of great privilege to talk about money when my finances are not something I have to worry about on a daily basis.
But I couldn’t help but notice the near total lack of reference to any other kind of wealth in these party manifestos. The kinds of wealth that some might argue, hold more value than a stack of paper notes emblazoned with the faces of historical figures and royalty. The kind of wealth I think of as true wealth.
Because what good is £1 million in the bank if you don’t have time to go fishing?
The parable of the fisherman and the businessman
I came across this widely referenced parable quite a while ago, I think I first encountered it in a book by Tim Ferris. I love it and it came to mind when reading through these manifestos.
A young American businessman was on vacation in a small Mexican coastal village.
One day, whilst standing on the pier, he noticed a small boat with a lone fisherman in it, returning to the shore after a short time casting his net over the water. The fisherman docked his little vessel laden with several large fish he had caught.
The businessman inspected the fisherman’s haul and remarked on the quality of the fish he had landed. “How long did it take you to catch them?” he asked. “Only a little while,” the fisherman replied.
Somewhat surprised, the young businessman asked, “Why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?”
The fisherman said, “This is enough to support my family’s immediate needs. I don’t need any more.”
“But what do you do with the rest of your time?,” asked the confused young man.
“Well. I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a walk with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos; I have a full and busy life, Señor.”
The businessman scoffed. “Let me give you some free advice,” he began.
“I’m a Harvard graduate with an MBA and know a little bit about business. If you spent more time fishing and with the proceeds bought a bigger boat — and with the proceeds from the bigger boat you bought several boats — eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats.”
“Then, instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you could sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You could control the product, processing and distribution. Of course, you would need to leave this small coastal village and move to Mexico City and, perhaps, eventually to New York, where you could run the headquarters of your growing enterprise.”
The fisherman asked, “How long would this all take?”
The young man replied, “15-20 years, if you work hard.”
“What then?,” asked the fisherman.
“That’s the best part,” the business man chortled. “When the time is right, you would announce an IPO, sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You could make millions.”
“Millions, Señor? Then what?”
“Then, my friend, you could retire, move to a small coastal fishing village where you can sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a walk with your wife, stroll to the village every evening where you can sip wine and play the guitar with your amigos.”
You aren’t truly wealthy until you have something money can’t buy
If we measure wealth in money or status or power, then the American businessman is far wealthier than the lowly fisherman. But if we measure wealth not of the bank account but of the heart, mind, time and freedom, who do you think is wealthier?
This is how I like to measure wealth or success.
Here is some of the true wealth I have, for which I am so very grateful on a daily basis. I feel positively giddy from all these riches.