The fisherman and the businessman
Building Life Wealth - excerpt from my book
I love this parable and have adapted it to the place I live.
There was once a businessman who was sitting by the beach in a small Mexican village.
As he sat, he saw a local fisherman rowing a panga towards the shore having caught a few big fish.
The businessman was impressed and asked the fisherman, “How long does it take you to catch this?”
The fisherman replied, “Oh, just the morning.”
“Then why don’t you stay longer at sea and catch even more?” The businessman asked.
“This is enough to feed my whole family and sell some to the fish market,” the fisherman said.
The businessman then asked, “So, what do you do for the rest of the day?”
The fisherman replied, “Well, I usually wake up early in the morning, go out to sea and catch a few fish, then go back and play with my kids. In the afternoon, I take a nap with my wife, and evening comes, I join my buddies in the village for a drink — we play guitar, sing and dance throughout the night.”
The businessman replied.
“I have a PhD in business. I could help you become more successful. From now on, you should spend more time at sea and try to catch as many fish as possible. When you have saved enough money, you could buy a bigger boat and catch even more fish. Soon you will be able to afford to buy more boats, set up your own company, your own production plant for canned food and distribution network in La Paz. By then, you will have moved out of this village and to La Paz, where you can set up HQ to manage your other branches.”
The fisherman continues, “And after that?”
The businessman laughs heartily, “After that, you can live like a king in your own house, and when the time is right, you can go public and float your shares in the Stock Exchange, and you will be rich.”
The fisherman asks, “And after that?”
The businessman says, “After that, you can finally retire, you can move to a house in the fishing village, wake up early in the morning, catch a few fish, then return home to play with kids, have a nice afternoon nap with your wife, and when evening comes, you can join your buddies for a drink, play the guitar, sing and dance throughout the night!”
The fisherman was puzzled, “Isn’t that what I am doing now?”
We all have a different version of success.
At Unhustle, we build Life Wealth.
Life Wealth
Financial wealth matters, but without Life Wealth, we risk becoming rich in money but poor in life. To be clear, I have nothing against quantity as long as it's qualified. But if the pursuit of "more" is driven only by external markers of success we have been told to pursue but don't make us happy, we're going on the wrong path. We need to course correct by using the "right calculator." Real success isn’t measured by what you earn, but by how fully you live. You can use the Life Wealth as a compass to guide you there.
Life Wealth has five essential dimensions.
Health Wealth: Your well-being is not just a foundation; it's the bedrock upon which everything in your life is built. The R.I.C.H. Theory was developed by T. J. Kehle, M. A. Bray, S. M. Chafouleas & C. S. McLoughlin. It states that Resources, Intimacy, Competence and Physical Health (R.I.C.H.) define happiness—a synonym of psychological health.
In the pursuit of human-centered measures, a revolutionary new concept has emerged—the economy of well-being pushed forward by the World Economic Forum. It’s based on the idea that long-term, sustainable economic growth can be achieved by cultivating individual well-being or “human functioning.” This revolutionary approach may not only unlock progress toward the economy of well-being but also advance sustainable economic development. Health is a public good. When employees feel healthier, happier, and more supported, they are significantly more productive at work. The WHO has found that promoting employee well-being leads to higher productivity, less absenteeism, and greater work satisfaction. Jobs end. Cars break down. Houses get sold. Your body is your biggest asset. Take care of it. “To keep the body in good health is a duty: otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear,” – said Buddha. Ask yourself: Do I feel good physically, mentally, and emotionally, or am I running on fumes?
Time Wealth: A landmark study by Whillans et al. found that time affluence—the feeling of having enough time—predicts greater well-being, life satisfaction, and happiness. People who value time over money report higher life satisfaction and greater happiness. Ask yourself, Am I spending my time on what truly matters to me?
Relationship Wealth: In the popular TedTalk "What Makes a Good Life? Lessons from the Longest Study on Happiness," Robert Waldinger, director of Harvard's longest happiness study, which lasted over 80 years, answers the title question.
Despite our desire to get rich and famous...
Despite our desire to have more as a way to be happy...
Despite being told to lean into work and achieve more...
Despite our inclination to stay busy and strive for success..
Despite your place on the social ladder...
The good life comes down to good relationships. Isolated people are less happy, they live shorter lives, and their brains deteriorate faster. Good relationships protect your physical health, emotional health, and brain health. The people who are most satisfied with their relationships at age 50 live longer.
Ask yourself, Who do I want to connect with more deeply, and how can I make that happen?
Experience Wealth: Research by Thomas Gilovich at Cornell University shows that spending money on experiences (like travel, skiing, or learning new skills) brings more enduring happiness than spending on material goods. The Flow theory by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi reveals that fully engaging in challenging but enjoyable activities enhances life satisfaction. Ask yourself, What makes you feel most alive? In the words of Alan Watts, "Life is not a problem to be solved but an experience to be had."
Inner Wealth: In a world that never stops shouting, true power comes from learning to control your thoughts, your reactions, and where you place your attention. When the 24/7 news cycle and everyone around you is telling you how to think and what to do, your inner calm is one of the few things truly within your control.
Research by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan (Self-Determination Theory) shows that living in alignment with your values—not the world’s demands—leads to greater well-being and life satisfaction. When you’re at peace with who you are and how you live, you tap into intrinsic motivation: the kind of fuel that keeps you going, even when things get tough.
Letting go of the need to prove yourself and spending your time on what you love, instead of what you think you “should” love, is a radical act. When you reframe success as living by your own values, you create a life that’s meaningful and fulfilling, no matter what the world throws at you. Ask yourself, What do you value most deeply—and why?
When we shift our metrics from external validation to internal alignment, from quantity to quality, from "more" to "meaningful," we don't just change the measuring stick.
We change the game we play entirely.
If you’re ready to change the game entirely, apply to the next Harmonia cohort.
Get on the advanced reader team for the book, Unhustle: A Manifesto for Work-Life Liberation.