Our Priorities Are The Moral Of The Story

I have always loved thought-provoking stories. One of my favorites I heard when I was only seven years old. It’s profound wisdom has stayed with me all my life. It goes like this:

An old lady of about 85 years of age lived alone in an old, dilapidated log cabin in the woods. Due to her advanced age, daily life was a struggle, but this feisty woman knew she had to keep going to survive.

One day, while out gathering wood for a fire, she was approached by a mysterious wizard.

“Good morning,” said the wizard. “I have great news for you. Today is your lucky day! ” He then explained that he was the Wizard of the Forest, and that he would grant her any wish her heart desired.

The old lady paused to consider this generous offer. But before she could make up her mind, the wizard interrupted her thoughts. “I could turn all the wood you have into solid gold. Imagine how rich you would be!” he suggested.

“Oh, what good would that do?” replied the old woman. “I could hardly carry it back to my hut, for the gold would be much heavier than the wood!

“Well, then perhaps I could turn all the water in your house into wine,” said the wizard with great enthusiasm.

Happiness is not a matter of intensity, but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony ~ Thomas Merton

“Oh, what good would that do a woman of my age?” replied the old woman. “I can hardly keep my wits about me, so drinking a lot of wine would certainly not help.”

“How about a whole new wardrobe of fancy clothes made of the finest, most expensive fabrics in the world?”

“Oh dear, what good would that do a lonely old person like me?” replied the old woman. “I have nowhere to wear such finery, so it will be wasted on me.”

By now, the wizard was getting a little impatient and said, “Surely there must be something you want, my dear?”

The old woman thought about it for a while and then said, “Well, if it is at all possible, could you make me young again? I don’t want gold, wine, or splendor, I just want my youth. I want health, strength, and vitality, nothing more.”

Satisfied that she had finally found out what she wanted, the wizard smiled and said, “Of course! Anything is possible with me. So prepare to be young again while I turn back time.”

Happily, the wizard granted the old lady’s wish, and in a puff of smoke she was transformed into a robust, lithe, and fit young woman. Her hair was no longer gray and sparse, but long and luscious. Her body was healthy and toned, her face bright and rosy.

Upon witnessing her incredible transformation, the now young lady thanked the wizard for what he had given her, scooped up the wood, placed it on her shoulders, and ran back to her cabin in the woods, laughing and dancing every step of the way!

So, many spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health ~ A.J. Materi

A wishful fairy tale? Sure, but one that stuck in a young girl’s mind and taught her the wisdom of prioritizing her health and well-being above all else at an early age. It taught her that health is wealth.

Another old and thought-provoking fable I recently came across is that of the Mexican fisherman and the merchant banker.

An investment banker decided to take a well-deserved break in a small coastal village where he met a local fisherman who had caught several large fresh fish that day.

The impressed banker asked the fisherman how long it had taken him to catch all those fish, to which the fisherman replied, “Not very long. “Then why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” asked the banker.

The fisherman replied that he had already caught more than enough fish to feed his family that day. Instead of greedily fishing for more fish that would only go to waste because there was no way his family could eat it all, stopping when he had caught enough now gave him time to go home and play with his children, take a nap with his wife, walk into the village in the evening for a glass of wine, and play cards with his friends.

“I prefer to live a full and happy life. I have no desire to spend it fishing all day unless it is absolutely necessary to feed my family,” the fisherman added.
Mockingly, the merchant banker told the fisherman that he should take some advice from an Ivy League college graduate with a Master of Business Administration degree. It could help him become very successful and wealthy.

Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important ~ Stephen Covey

“If you spent more time fishing, you could buy an even bigger boat, and eventually a fleet of boats. Because all the extra fish you catch, you could sell for a profit. Or better yet, maybe after a few years you could open your own fish cannery and distribute your catch to consumers worldwide!

Think of how rich you could become! In fact, you could make millions if you were to announce an IPO and sell all the shares of your fishing company to the public,” the banker went on.

“And then what?” asked the fisherman. To which the merchant banker replied:

“Well, then you could sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a nap with your wife, and stroll into the village every night to sip wine and play cards with your friends.”

The moral of the story is, who would you rather be in life? The wealthy merchant banker or the happy and contented fisherman? It is a matter of work-life balance that only you can decide.