IMPORTANT ANECDOTE.

While taking these photographs, a little story that wanders through my mind every now and then came up again. I’ve heard or read it a long time ago, but still it manages to show me every time I think about it the treasures of simplicity. I’ll tell you the story and combined with the photographs I want you to think about what success means for you. I’ll leave it at that.

The Fisherman and the Businessman
A simple story about how we define success.

One afternoon in a quiet seaside village, a well dressed man from the city was walking along the pier when he spotted a small fishing boat coming in. Inside was a local fisherman with a handful of big, beautiful fish.

Nice catch, the man said. How long did that take you?

Not long, the fisherman said, still on his boat. Just a couple hours.

The man looked surprised. Why not stay out longer and catch more?

The fisherman smiled. I catch what I need—enough for my family and a little extra to sell. That’s all I need.

The man responded quite shocked. But what do you do with the rest of your time?

I sleep in, fish a bit, hang out with my kids, take a nap with my wife, and in the evening I head into town to have wine and play guitar with my friends.

The businessman laughed. You know, I’ve got a business degree - I could help you. If you fished more, you could buy a bigger boat. Then a few more. Eventually, you’d have a whole fleet.

The fisherman responded slowly. Okay… and then?

Then you could open a processing plant, move to the city, run the business from a big office and make millions. You would be a real success.

And after that? The fisherman asked.

Well, the businessman started, you could retire. Move to a little village like this one. Sleep in, fish a bit, spend time with your family, and enjoy the evenings with your friends.

The fisherman answered with a smile covering his whole face.

So… basically what I’m already doing.