Monday, May 31, 2010

A Little Story About Fishing


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 an 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 extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."

"And after that?" asked the Mexican.

"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 then 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 new enterprise."

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

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

"And after that?"

"Afterwards? Well my friend, that’s when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!"

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

"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 enjoying your friends."

And the moral of this story is: ……… Know where you’re going in life… you may already be there.


This simple, little story has an excellent moral. How many of us are mindlessly going through the same routine day after day without a clear picture of where we want to be in life? Maybe we are already there!

Albert Einstein said “Too many people buy things they don’t need with money they don’t have trying to impress people they don’t like”

Take a step back and re-evaluate your life. Where do you want to go? What are you doing to get there? What needs to change in your life? Change your mind, change your life.

I'm holding the high watch! Rev. Donna

Sunday, May 16, 2010


Spiritual Clutter

How many of us have a home filled with clothes that no longer fit, piles of magazines that are never read, and gifts from relatives we never use?

Can an overabundance of material goods be a drag on a person’s spiritual development? More and more, de-cluttering and downsizing are being viewed in a spiritual context, as ways to remove distractions to inner growth.

People "are beginning to see that their possessions become a weight and a barrier to their spiritual life and to their happiness," said the Rev. Elizabeth Braxton, pastor of Burke Presbyterian Church. They are realizing, she added, that "the more we have, the more we have to take responsibility" for it and "the less time we have for . . . the breathing space of God."

Feng shui, the ancient Chinese system for creating a harmonious environment, has become another spiritual voice warning against a surplus of material goods. The first rule of feng shui is no clutter because clutter creates stagnation and makes you feel depressed.

So here is the big question…is there a parallel between clutter in our homes and offices…and the clutter in our spiritual lives? Could our emotional and spiritual health be in danger by the clutter of our “stuff?” Could eliminating the mess in our homes and offices eliminate the blocks to our spiritual growth?

I’m going to clear off a chair in my home office, move a stack of books on the floor, and sit and ponder. Hmmmm….