Why are we here?
Do you think that you depend too much on your job or on the money you earn? Would you like to have more time for other really important things in life? More time for the family or your own hobbies? Let me tell you a little story to figure out if I can help you.
A fisherman — who lives somewhere by the sea — goes out every day in his small fishing boat, catches two fish and returns to his family at noon. Together they broil the fish on the beach and then spend time together.
One day a manager, a successful entrepreneur, spends his vacation in the fisherman’s village. He watches the fisherman for a few days and wonders why the fisherman comes back all the time with two fish only.
And because he’s a thoroughbred manager, he asks the fisherman why he catches two fish only. There would be plenty of time to catch more.
The fisherman answers that there would be more fish, but that those two fish he catches daily are enough for him and his family.
Hereupon, the entrepreneur suggests the following: “You could still catch more fish and then just sell the rest…”
The fisherman asks what he would get out of it, and the entrepreneur tells him: “Then you can earn additional money by selling the remaining fish.”
The fisherman asks again: “Then what do I do with the extra money?” — “You may even be able to hire employees at some point!”
The fisherman is surprised again and asks: “And what do I do with the employees?”
“Well, with more employees you can catch even more fish and sell them and earn even more money with it.” replies the manager.
But here, too, the fisherman does not yet recognize the value and asks again: “And then?”
“Then you might have your own factory one day, a really big company, and you can sell and earn a lot more!” responds the manager.
“And what’s the benefit for me?” asks the fisherman again. “Well, at some point, you might earn so much money that you don’t have to work anymore!!! Wouldn’t that be great?!” the manager bursts out enthusiastically.
“And when I don’t have to work anymore, can I do what I want?”
Delighted that the fisherman now apparently understood, the manager replies: “Yes, absolutely! You no longer have to work and you can do whatever you want!”
“Can I go out with my boat every day? Catch two fish for me and my family? Broil them for lunch? And then spend the afternoon with my wife and the children on the beach and enjoy the time?”
“Yes, you can do all of that!” confirms the manager.
The fisherman looks at him thoughtfully… and finally replies: “But that’s exactly what I’m doing every day right now!”
- I’m not the author of that story and it has been known for some time. Why am I telling it? There are three aspects which I find very intriguing:
- The fisherman has a point when he says that he really just wants to lie in the sun and his current job allows him to do that.
- The businessman also has a point when he says that with a well-running company in the background, you can lie in the sun much more relaxed and comfortable. Not only because you can enjoy your life way better, but also because you are better protected against so-called black swans. In the fisherman’s case, this could be a severe storm destroying his net or even the entire boat. Or an illness which keeps him from fishing for so long that he and his family will starve. Fact is, this security requires quite a bit of additional effort. And not everyone wants to pay the price for that.
- My own aspect: the fisherman must go out every day, whether he wants to or not. With enough money in the background, this “must” can be stopped. And let’s be honest: who wants to just lie in the sun for the rest of their life? I bet the fisherman’s wife would definitely not be satisfied with that in the long run 😉.
There is so much to experience and discover in this world. I only managed to really enjoy this experiencing and discovering after I was able to shake off the “yoke of the must”. Here I have written down all the insights and knowledge I gained on this path to my own financial freedom, so that others can also benefit from it.
First things first — here are the two Golden Rules of Investing:
1. Never put all eggs into one basket.
2. Only invest money you can afford to loose.
Money you don't need tomorrow.
Start here with a series of five articles explaining the basics:
1. Financial Freedom – What Is That Exactly?
You’ve made the decision to tackle this challenge and you want to know how to become financially free. Or, you want to know what I have to say about the
2. What Is the Difference Between Spendings and Investments – and Why Is That so Important?
On the way to financial freedom, we first need some basic knowledge. It’s similar to learning a new language at school: at first, we get to know a few new
3. Mindset for Money – Why We May Accumulate It
In the distant past, before money was invented, the only resource we had was our lifetime: the time our body stands the gaff before it ultimately runs out of steam.
Alright, now we know that “good old money” is neither good nor bad and that we are allowed to pile it up it for private purposes. But how do you
5. Investments and Asset Classes
You’ve made it this far, to the last article in the basic series. Congratulations! This gives you a good You now have a good foundation for your financial freedom, especially