Folks, a colleague of mine forwarded this…Looks
like a management Funda…but worth a try, Probably
the key to happiness(that eludes us whenever we seem
to have seized it……..)
The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the waters
close to Japan have not held many fish for decades. So to
feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and
went farther than ever. The farther the fishermen went, the
longer it took to bring in the fish. If the return trip took
more than a few days, the fish were not fresh.
The Japanese did not like the taste. To solve this problem,
fishing companies installed freezers on their boats. They
would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed
the boats to go farther and stay longer.
However, the Japanese could taste the difference between
fresh and frozen and they did not like frozen fish. The
frozen fish brought a lower price. So fishing companies
installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff
them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing
around, the fish stopped moving. They were tired and dull,
but alive. Unfortunately, the Japanese could still taste
the difference. Because the fish did not move for days,
they lost their fresh-fish taste. The Japanese preferred
the lively taste of fresh fish, not sluggish fish.So how
did Japanese fishing companies solve this problem? How do
they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan? If you were consulting
the fish industry, what would you recommend?
As soon as you reach your goals, such as finding a wonderful
mate, starting a successful company, paying off your debts
or whatever, you might lose your passion. You don’t need to
work so hard so you relax. You experience the same problem
as lottery winners who waste their money, wealthy heirs who
never grow up and bored homemakers who get addicted to
prescription drugs. Like the Japanese fish problem, the best
solution is simple. In the Early 50’s, L Ron Hubbard, the
Founder of Scientology, observed:
“Man thrives, oddly enough, only in the presence of a challenging environment”.
The Benefits of a Challenge:
The more intelligent, persistent and competent you are,
the more you enjoy a good problem. If your challenges are
the correct size, and if you are steadily conquering those
challenges, you are happy. You think of your challenges and
get energized. You are excited to try new solutions. You
have fun. You are alive!
How Japanese Fish Stay Fresh:
To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies
still put the fish in the tanks. But now they add a small shark
to each tank. The shark eats a few fish, but most of the fish
arrive in a very lively state. The fish are challenged.
Recommendations:
Instead of avoiding challenges, jump into them. Beat the heck
out of them. Enjoy the game. If your challenges are too large
or too numerous, do not give up. Failing makes you tired.
Instead, reorganize. Find more determination, more knowledge,
more help. If you have met your goals, set some bigger goals.
Once you meet your personal or family needs, move onto goals
for your group, the society, even mankind.
Don’t create success and lie in it. You have resources, skills
and abilities to make a difference.
” So, put a shark in your tank and see how far you can really go!”
Know Thyself 