The Greatest Satisfaction

A University Commencement Address

Quality of Life

The Greatest Satisfaction

I think the greatest satisfaction one gets is derived from the opinion that
people have about you- people who have been around you your whole life-
as to your character and your compassion and your fairness, and the way
you deal with people, and the way you do your job and whether you have
tried to sacrifice other people for your personal benefit.  In the Navy,
we call it _service reputation_, and I think that's the most important thing.

        -Adm. Thomas Moorer

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A University Commencement Address
 

In a university commencement address several years ago,
Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca Cola Enterprises,
spoke of the relation of work to one's other commitments:
 

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the
air. You name them- work, family, health, friends and spirit and you're
keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a
rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four
balls_family, health, friends and sprit are made of glass. If you drop one
of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even
shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive
for balance in your life. How?

Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because
we are different that each of us is special. Don't set your goals by what
other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you. Don't take
for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would
your life, for without them, life is meaningless. Don't let your life slip
through your fingers by living in the past or the future. By living your
life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.
Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over
until the moment you stop trying. Don't be afraid to admin that you are less
than perfect? It is this fragile thread that binds us to each together.
Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It s by taking chances that we learn
how to be brave . Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible
to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to
love love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to
give it wings. Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where
you've been, but also where you are going. Don't forget that a person's
greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated. Don't be afraid to learn.
Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.
Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a
race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way. Yesterday is
History, Tomorrow is a Mystery and Today is a gift that's why we call
it-"The Present".

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 An American investment banker was at a fishing pier of a small coastal
Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.  Inside
the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American
complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it
took to catch  them.

 The Mexican replied, "only a little while."

 The American then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more
fish?

 The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs.

 The American then asked, "but what do you do with the rest of your time?"

 The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my
children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each
evening where I sip wine and  play guitar with my amigos, I have a full
and busy life."

 The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should
spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat with the
proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you
would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a
middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening
your own cannery.

You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need
to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then
LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."

 The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"

 To which the American replied, "15-20 years."

 "But what then?"

 The American laughed and said that's the best part.  "When the time is
right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public
and become very rich, you would make millions."

 "Millions - Then what?"

 The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal
fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your
kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings
where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
 

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