The Hungry Fisherman
(excerpt from Mr. Everit's Secret: What I Learned from the World's Richest Man by Alan Cohen)
“I've been watching you from the bridge for a while, and I notice that you keep the little fish and throw the big ones back into the stream. Why is that?”
“Simple,” he answered. “I have this frying pan here that's about nine inches wide.” Still holding his fishing rod with his right hand, the fisherman leaned over, picked up a small cast-iron skillet, and held it up so I could see. “Only the little fish fit in the pan, so those are the ones I keep.”
I couldn't believe his reasoning. “Then why don't you . . .” I started to ask, but was interrupted by the short blip of a police siren at the top of the bridge. I scurried up to find a cop parked behind my car.
“This your car, mister?”
“That's right, officer.”
“You can't park here; you're blocking the shoulder. You're gonna need to move it, or else I'll have to give you a citation.”
“Sure, no problem.”
I got into the car and started for home. My strange interaction with the fisherman had rattled me. What a peculiar way to fish! I picked up my cell phone and dialed Mr. Everit.
“So you met the hungry fisherman,” he answered.
“I sure did. What a weirdo! The guy was just wasting his energy on small fish. He'd sure save himself a bunch of work and eat a lot better if he just got a bigger frying pan!”
“Absolutely correct. Yet he's no weirder than anyone else who's hungry for money or anything.”
“What do you mean?”
“Remember you asked me why you don't have everything you want, and how to get more?”
“Yes?”
“Get a bigger frying pan.”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
“The frying pan is your mind. The fish represent your income, or anything you want more of. If you want to increase what you receive, the first step is to make a place for it in your mind. Think bigger thoughts; paint grander dreams. You can go to a gold mine with a tiny wheelbarrow or a huge one, and you will come away with a volume of gold equal to the size of your container.”
I began to feel irritated and nearly veered across the road into an oncoming car. “But what about the supply and demand?” I shouted into my cell phone. “And economic indicators? And focus groups?”
Mr. Everit laughed. “Do you think I built this huge successful factory by listening to what other people told me was available?” he asked me. “Most people measure themselves by other people's measly frying pans and think that's all they can have. Only those who ask for more can get more, and only those who know more is available, ask.”
(excerpt from Mr. Everit's Secret: What I Learned from the World's Richest Man by Alan Cohen)
“I've been watching you from the bridge for a while, and I notice that you keep the little fish and throw the big ones back into the stream. Why is that?”
“Simple,” he answered. “I have this frying pan here that's about nine inches wide.” Still holding his fishing rod with his right hand, the fisherman leaned over, picked up a small cast-iron skillet, and held it up so I could see. “Only the little fish fit in the pan, so those are the ones I keep.”
I couldn't believe his reasoning. “Then why don't you . . .” I started to ask, but was interrupted by the short blip of a police siren at the top of the bridge. I scurried up to find a cop parked behind my car.
“This your car, mister?”
“That's right, officer.”
“You can't park here; you're blocking the shoulder. You're gonna need to move it, or else I'll have to give you a citation.”
“Sure, no problem.”
I got into the car and started for home. My strange interaction with the fisherman had rattled me. What a peculiar way to fish! I picked up my cell phone and dialed Mr. Everit.
“So you met the hungry fisherman,” he answered.
“I sure did. What a weirdo! The guy was just wasting his energy on small fish. He'd sure save himself a bunch of work and eat a lot better if he just got a bigger frying pan!”
“Absolutely correct. Yet he's no weirder than anyone else who's hungry for money or anything.”
“What do you mean?”
“Remember you asked me why you don't have everything you want, and how to get more?”
“Yes?”
“Get a bigger frying pan.”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
“The frying pan is your mind. The fish represent your income, or anything you want more of. If you want to increase what you receive, the first step is to make a place for it in your mind. Think bigger thoughts; paint grander dreams. You can go to a gold mine with a tiny wheelbarrow or a huge one, and you will come away with a volume of gold equal to the size of your container.”
I began to feel irritated and nearly veered across the road into an oncoming car. “But what about the supply and demand?” I shouted into my cell phone. “And economic indicators? And focus groups?”
Mr. Everit laughed. “Do you think I built this huge successful factory by listening to what other people told me was available?” he asked me. “Most people measure themselves by other people's measly frying pans and think that's all they can have. Only those who ask for more can get more, and only those who know more is available, ask.”
No comments:
Post a Comment