Such a good story from Zen Living (LINK) about finding our purpose in life.
There was a big city businessman who once went on holiday to a faraway beach. One day he walked past a local fisherman who was lazing around, with his fishing rod in the water, enjoying the sun and a beer.
The city man’s mind went to work immediately. The fishing spot was a gold mine, and a serious fishing business would thrive in the area. “Why are you so stupid?” he asked the fisherman. “Get some boats, hire some extra hands, and in a few years you will turn your little shop into a million-dollar business!”
The local man asked him. “And what would you do once you have a million dollars?”
The city man stared back blankly. “Why, I would have so much free time I could sit around in the sun all day and drink beer!”
This is so right on! It seems to me that there is such an effort to work so hard to have something later, when we could be enjoying it now. We want to provide a safe and comfortable environment for our kids and our families, but they miss out on our presence. We work hard to save up for retirement, but by the time we get there we are either so tired from all the working or have missed out on the necessary lessons along the way that we experience more boredom than anything else. I think I would rather love life till I die, even if I have to work till I’m 70 than to miss so much along the way.
Do any of these sound familiar? Once I have money, I’ll be independent. Once I find a lover, I will have higher self-esteem. Once my spouse quits drinking so much, I will be happy.
Does the opposite not seem more logical? Develop your self-esteem first, and potential lovers will find you more attractive. Grow your independence and you will find it easier to make money. And perhaps if you are happier, your mate will not see the need to drink as much.
There it is. If you want to experience some value in life, start living now… be intentional about it now… it’s not so hard to get to. Be ready though, as I think that the real valuable things in life take a lot more self-work than desk-work.
Nathan Bettger | Oshkosh, WI 
“And perhaps if you are happier, your mate will not see the need to drink as much.”
Nate, I’m hope you didn’t intend this, but it seems that you are blaming a man/woman for the fact that his/her mate drinks. An alcoholic’s decision to drink is his/her own, is not a “need” as you refer to it, and is not the responsibility of anyone else. There are healthy ways to deal with conflict and unhappy people, but let’s not point the finger at others for a person’s choice to abuse alcohol.
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Rachel,
Thanks for your note. By no means am I suggesting that alcoholism is someone else’s fault. You may want to follow the link of the site I was quoting and see if that is what the original author intended.
The point of my post was not intended to be about alcoholism or drinking at all. Thanks for your point though.
Nate
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but Nate, there is the need to provide fish for others, to make products that others can use to make their lives a bit more efficient or enjoyable. We work to be able to provide things for others. We have evolved beyond the hunter gatherer stage of evolution and now depend on others for our existence and sustenance. You work with the little steers to provide meat for others. This is good and honest work that is for others not your self.
So sitting on the beach and fishing for your needs would not be the best for everyone to decide as their life’s focus. Most of need to work to supply the needs of the others…
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bob,
Definitely agree with you that we need to be giving our gift for others. This what I want most deeply. Not necessarily the point of the post, though… that being whether we are living for ourselves or others. I mainly just hope that my greatest gift to the world doesn’t get diffused or missed because it is wrapped up some future benefit or hope for maximization.
I’m not sure that the guy sitting on the beach wasn’t fishing for his family. He could have been. I agree with you point though, that we need to be thinking of others.
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i like the wisdom from the story on “Office Space” where he says, what would you do if you had a million dollars? and then whatever your answer is, that’s what you should be doing with your life right now, as least in the form you can afford.
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