Does money buy happiness?
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The Meaning of Life
by Cukey Sapodillo
The American businessman was at an outdoor fresh food market at a coastal Costa Rican farm village
when a small truck with filled with boxes of fruit pulled up. The American complimented the driver
on the quality of his fruit and asked how long it took to pick it all. The Costa Rican farmer
replied, only a little while. The American then asked why didn't he pick more fruit? 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 Costa Rican farmer said, "I sleep late, tend to the
orchard, pick fruit, have lunch, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll
into the village each evening and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life, señor."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should pick more fruit, plant
more trees, spend more time farming and with the proceeds, buy a bigger orchard, and with the
proceeds from the bigger orchard you could buy several orchards. Eventually you would have a fleet
of trucks. Instead of selling your harvest at fruit stalls in small villages you would sell
directly to city markets, and eventually open your own fruit exporting business. You would control
the product and distribution."
"You would need to hire orchard and distribution managers, leave this small coastal village and
move to San Jose, then Mexico City, then Los Angles, then New York City where you will run your
expanding enterprise."
The Costa Rican farmer asked, "But señor, how long will this all take?"
To which the American replied, "15-20 years."
"But what then, señor?"
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, señor? Then what?"
The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal farming village where you would
sleep late, tend to your orchard, pick fruit, have lunch, play with your grandchildren, take
siestas with your wife, stroll into the village each evening and play guitar with your amigos.
____________________________________________________
The Meaning of Life
by Cukey Sapodillo
The American businessman was at an outdoor fresh food market at a coastal Costa Rican farm village
when a small truck with filled with boxes of fruit pulled up. The American complimented the driver
on the quality of his fruit and asked how long it took to pick it all. The Costa Rican farmer
replied, only a little while. The American then asked why didn't he pick more fruit? 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 Costa Rican farmer said, "I sleep late, tend to the
orchard, pick fruit, have lunch, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll
into the village each evening and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life, señor."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should pick more fruit, plant
more trees, spend more time farming and with the proceeds, buy a bigger orchard, and with the
proceeds from the bigger orchard you could buy several orchards. Eventually you would have a fleet
of trucks. Instead of selling your harvest at fruit stalls in small villages you would sell
directly to city markets, and eventually open your own fruit exporting business. You would control
the product and distribution."
"You would need to hire orchard and distribution managers, leave this small coastal village and
move to San Jose, then Mexico City, then Los Angles, then New York City where you will run your
expanding enterprise."
The Costa Rican farmer asked, "But señor, how long will this all take?"
To which the American replied, "15-20 years."
"But what then, señor?"
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, señor? Then what?"
The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal farming village where you would
sleep late, tend to your orchard, pick fruit, have lunch, play with your grandchildren, take
siestas with your wife, stroll into the village each evening and play guitar with your amigos.
