"What I learned from the Richest Man in the World" by Alan Cohen is a story written in the perspective of a young, ambitious man who got mentored by a successful, rich businessman. The rich businessman, Mr Everit, taught the young man important lessons in life. There's a big revelation at the end of the story but I won't spoil it for you just in case you plan to read it. :)
Anyway, one of my favorite parts of the book was when the businessman asked the young man to go to a nearby bridge. The businessman didn't give any other instructions except to go to the bridge.
When the young man reached the foot of the bridge, the only thing that he saw was a guy fishing. Nevertheless, he decided to park his car and go down to observe.
The fisherman caught a small trout about seven inches long. He tossed the fish into a beat-up white plastic bucket and cast his line again. Five minutes later he reeled in another trout, considerably larger than the first. He studied the fish for a few moments, shook his head, and cast it back in the stream.
The young man thought what the fisherman did was strange. He continued to watch the fisherman for the next 30 minutes and during that time, the fisherman caught several more fishes. Oddly, the fisherman kept all the smaller trout and tossed the bigger ones back into the stream. It made no sense.
Finally, the young man decided to approach the fisherman to ask.
“Fair to middlin’” the fisherman answered in a monotone. “I come down here a couple times a week and fish for some dinner. I usually catch a bunch of trout and cook them up, but I’m still hungry. I’m doing the best I can.”
“Do you mind if I ask you a question?” the young man asked.
“Fire away,” the fisherman answered nonchalantly as he cast his line again.
“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?" the young man asked.
“Simple,” the fisherman answered. “I have this frying pan here that’s about 9 inches wide.” Still holding the 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 into the pan, so those are the ones I keep.”
The young man couldn't believe the fisherman's reasoning. Just as when he was about to say to the fisherman, “Then why don’t you . . .", he heard a police siren and remembered he didn't park properly so he rushed to leave.
After the encounter with the fisherman, he called up Mr Everit.
Mr. Everit asked “So you met the hungry fisherman?”
“I sure did. What a weirdo! The guy was 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!” the young man answered.
“Absolutely correct. Yet he’s no weirder than anyone else who’s hungry for money or anything,” said Mr. Everit.
“What do you mean?” asked the young man.
“Remember you asked me why you don’t have everything you want, and how to get more?” said Mr Everit. “Get a bigger frying pan.”
“What on earth are you talking about?” asked the young man.
“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, first 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 as much gold as your container will hold.” explained Mr. Everit.
Anyway, you might be wondering why Mr. Everit is considered the richest man in the world. Here's a conversation between the two men to understand why:
“The newspaper did a survey asking highly successful people which came first: happiness or success?” Mr. Everit shared with the young man. “63% said they were successful because they were happy. 37% aid they were happy because they were successful.”
“And which category do you fit into, Mr. Everit?” the young man asked.
“It’s a no-brainer,” Mr Everit answered. “If your happiness depends on success, any little setback will plunge you into upset... People who decide to be happy no matter what the stock market is doing, find all kinds of things to feel successful about-- and attract more.”
Then Mr Everit continued, “I don’t need any more money . . . I have enough.”
The young man asked, "You’re really satisfied with what you have? Don’t you want to get richer?”
“I’m already rich. In fact, I’m the richest man in the world,” Mr Everit replied.
“Oh, come on, now, Mr. Everit, I know you have a few bucks in the bank, but you’re no Bill Gates or Oprah,” said the young man.
Mr. Everit smiled. “Of course I’m no billionaire. If you define riches by money, I’m just an average Joe. But if you consider the immense good in my life, I am loaded. I have a loving wife . . . a fulfilling job . . . friends I laugh with . . . magnificent sunsets . . . inspiring books . . . music that feeds my soul. Sure, I have my challenges, but they help me get stronger. If I start to go into a funk, I remember how blessed I am, and things shift... What more could any man ask for?”
Mr Everit continued to explain “’Enough’ is not a number or condition to be attained. It’s an attitude you cultivate. Most people go to great pains to decide how they will invest their money, but think little about how they are investing their thoughts, which are more crucial. They spend most of their attention on the one thing that went wrong, and overlook the thousand things that went right. They don’t realize that you get more of whatever you focus on.”
Beautiful life lessons from the richest man in the world. :)
