I can really remember two profound moments of clarity in my 30’s and they both came in the weirdest of places, but maybe that’s where the greatest epiphanies come from. Life and discovered wisdom rarely look that perfect scene of a mountain vista and a quote bubble that we see on social media. The two things that drastically changed my life were a conversation by the trash can with a neighbor and a sign by the bathroom at a local jimmy johns. Were going to focus on the later one today.
several years ago my wife called at lunch and asked me if I wanted to meet at a local Jimmie Johns for lunch and I took her up on the offer. I got there before she did and found the only two available seats way in the back by the bathrooms. somehow the idea to not look at my phone seemed like the right thing to do so I started reading all the random signs around the restaurant. Most of them are just silly but there’s one that is solid gold. It’s the parable of the Mexican fishermen and American investment banker.
STOP!!!! Did you read the parable? If not go back and read it, its a prerequisite for the second half of our lesson.
The value of an item.
MORE, MORE, MORE, I NEED MORE, GIVE ME MORE. I’LL BE HAPPY WHEN I HAVE MORE!!!
That 45 seconds worth of reading completely changed my thought process on how I was living/spending my life away. Prior to that story I had been saving for an Omega Speedmaster watch, aka the watch that went to the moon. Its really sweet looking and the history behind it is pretty amazing. In fact every single Speedmaster is built to NASA specifications and is approved to travel to outer space, how cool is that? You could own a watch that’s approved for space travel!
The two big problems with that watch are your going to spend at least $4,000 dollars to own it and I don’t know about you but I don’t have any reservations for the International Space Station booked any time soon so in all reality its a bit overkill.
There’s an awesome line in the Tao Te Ching an ancient book of chinese wisdom that says.
A teapot is useful not for what you can see. It is useful for what you cannot see — its emptiness.
When we understand that the value of an item whether it be a teapot or a watch or how we chose to live our lives is rooted in its functionality versus its outward astetic appeal we start to live the life of the fishermen versus the dream of the investment banker.
Sure a $4,000 dollar watch looks cool on your wrist but it tells time just like a $20.00 Timex watch. A Ferrari will get you looks at a traffic light but if you drive the speed limit you will get to work just as fast as the Ford following behind you.
I’m not going to lie to you I am guilty of consumerism, I like cool stuff on the outside of my “teapots” It makes me feel good about myself, but what is the long term cost of such a luxury item. Is it a few more long nights at the office, missing your kids events or even a couple of extra years at your job.
Live the dream now.
Maybe its un-American or anti-capitalistic of me to say this but I know that the fisherman is living his life the right way in our parable. He provides for his family financially but more importantly, he is happy and present for his family. Sure if he bought the extra boat and fished longer hours he could buy his wife a fancy car and his kid the newest iPhone to replace the love that’s gone missing by his absence. That love looks a lot like a fancy logo slapped on the outside of a “teapot” if you ask me.
Does the fishermen in our story have a fancy designer teapot decorated to let everyone know his wealth, negative, ghost rider. He has something better a boring old “teapot” on the outside that is filled with love, purpose and contentment on the inside.
I don’t remember what kind of sandwich I had in the shadow of those profound words by the bathroom that day but the wisdom imparted on me that day has served me well.
Subjects to change 