An inspiring story ….

An inspiring story ….

The Japanese have a great liking for fresh fish. But the waters close
to Japan have not held many fish for decades. So, to feed the
Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went further than
ever. The further the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring
back the fish. The longer it took them to bring back the fish, the
more stale they grew.

The fish were not fresh and the Japanese did not like the taste. To
solve this problem, fishing companies installed freezers on their
boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers
allowed the boats to go further and stay longer. However, the
Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen fish.
And they did not like the taste of frozen fish. The frozen fish
brought a lower price. So, fishing companies installed fish tanks.
They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin.
After a little hashing around, the fish stopped moving. They were
tired and dull, but alive.

Unfortunately, the Japanese could still taste the difference. Because
the fish did not move for days, they lost their fresh-fish taste. The
Japanese preferred the lively taste of fresh fish, not sluggish fish.
The fishing industry faced an impending crisis! But today, it has
recovered from that crisis and has emerged as one of the most
important trades in that country! How did Japanese fishing companies
solve this problem? How do they bring fresh-tasting fish to Japan ?

To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still
put the fish in the tanks. But now they add a small shark to each
tank. The shark eats a few fish, but most of the fish arrive in a
very lively state. The fish are challenged and hence are constantly
on the move. And they survive and arrive in a healthy state! They
command a higher price and are most sought-after. The challenge they
face keeps them fresh!

Humans are no different. L. Ron Hubbard observed in the early
1950's: "Man thrives, oddly enough, only in the presence of a
challenging environment. " George Bernard Shaw said: " Satisfaction is
death!"

If you are steadily conquering challenges, you are happy. Your
challenges keep you energized. You are excited to try new solutions.
You have fun. You are alive! Instead of avoiding challenges, jump
into them. Do not postpone a task, simply because its challenging.
Catch these challenges by their horns and vanquish them. Enjoy the
game. If your challenges are too large or too numerous, do not give
up. Giving up makes you tired. Instead, reorganize. Find more
determination, more knowledge, more help. Don't create success and
revel in it in a state of inertia. You have the resources, skills and
abilities to make a difference.

*** Put a shark in your tank and see how far you can really go! ***