On the "Rat Race" & Money
   .

 An Important Story

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village.  An American tourist complimented
the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it
took him to catch them.  "Not very long," answered the Mexican.

  "But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the
American.  The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to
meet his needs and those of his family.  The American asked, "But what
do you do with the rest of your time?"

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta
with my wife.  In the evenings I go into the village to see my friends, have
a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs.  I have a full life."

The American interrupted, "I have a MBA from Harvard and I can help you.

You should start by fishing longer every day.  You can then sell the
extra fish you catch.  With the revenue, you can buy a bigger boat.  With the
extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a
third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers.  Instead
of selling your fish to a middle-man, you can negotiate directly with the
processing plants and maybe even open your own plant.  You can then
leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New
York City!  From there you can direct your huge enterprise.

 "How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.

  "Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.

 "And after that?"

"Afterwards?"  That's when it gets really interesting," answered the
American, laughing.  When your business gets really big, you can start
selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions?  Really?"  "And after that?" asked the fisherman.

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the
coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a
siesta with your wife, and spend your evenings drinking and playing the guitar with your friends!"