I went fishing for the first time with my friend and another friend of hers who was to be our guide and It didn’t take me long to realize that if we were to have gone without someone who had not only had numerous experiences but also was passionate about it, we would have ended up disappointed and frustrated.
As I allowed myself the pleasure of enjoying the entire experience, I noted a couple of things I believe can be applied to other areas of life. The first lesson learned is the importance of having the guidance of someone who has been there. Call it a guide, mentor, or whatever. I thought to myself there is wisdom and benefits in going through “life” (by life I refer to say a new career path, new adventure, new course or degree, new status, etc.). through the guidance of not just those that have taken a similar path but that you can consider having succeeded or are succeeding.(Keyword being what you consider to be “success”) I come from the Yoruba speaking tribe of Nigeria and we say that what an elderly person sees while sitting, a child cannot see even when standing. What this implies is that one can learn from those who have taken the same or similar path without having to repeat the same mistakes.
When we got to our fishing spot, we met this team of about 4 who by looking at their catch, I would be right to say had been there for a while. Let me say that initially when I saw their catch, I was envious. I wish our net was as full as theirs or even half full. It took a while for me to admit that they had gotten to the “lake” hours before we did. Applying that to life, I will be right to say that we might find ourselves envying others without understanding the price and sacrifice they have had to pay. Sometimes we compare ourselves with those that are older, more educated, more experienced, those who had sacrificed much more in the open and even in private. We call them lucky without understanding the price they have paid, paying, or will even have to pay. Maybe we need sometimes to look into if we can do things differently or even do more, study more (to pass an exam), send out more resume (to get a job), give more (not only money), judge others less (so we are less judged and given more opportunities)
Eventually, the team dispersed and as they did, one of them was nice enough to give us a heads-up on the good spot for the day based on his experience, such a pleasant fellow and then on the other hand was this cranky one. And I realized that in this journey of life, we will meet different people. Some will be supportive encouragers, others might not be. It is important to note this, identify the category they fall into, and don’t give too much attention to those who feel threatened by your presence or success and are unwilling to even have to watch you succeed.
I observed the use of baits in catching fishes and guess what both artificial and natural fishes were employed. It got me thinking, what do I need to attract what I desire? Does intelligence attract intelligence? Do ideas attract value, wealth, success? Another thing that comes to mind here is being mindful of the company we keep. What kind of people are you attracting? they just might be a representation of who you are or what your values are
Aside from having numerous fishing experiences, my guide was also passionate such that even after spending hours in the cold and having caught just two fishes, he wasn’t going to give up. The lesson here is to identify people who have not only been on that path but who are passionate about the cause because when they are they won’t give up easily on you or your dreams.
When the fishing hook got stuck, my first response was to cut it off and get another hook or liner with the bait but I watched my guide patiently work on the hook. He was able to identify the direction the hook got stuck and he fixed it without cutting it off. I have faced certain situations I wished I could have cut short as I was only interested in the result. But sometimes cutting things off might not be the solution. Sometimes you need not cut off any process, pain, or experience but patiently go through the right process of learning and seeing it through. The beauty can be in the journey or process. It is in the process there is the formation of character, goals, values, and what you can think of.
Lest I forget, on getting to the fishing spot, it took quite a bit of time for my guide to work out the baits and hook on the liner but he was patient because he understood the importance of getting it right. Talk about having the right foundation. In life, there will be moments of preparation before the actual encounter. For me as a single, maybe I can start preparing for marriage. For a student, maybe you can research about school and courses. To build or buy a house, maybe you can begin to prepare by reading up on some obligations and rights of homeowners. The experience begins with the preparation.
Lastly, the beauty of the expedition was not just in the actual fishing experience which by the way I partook of majorly by taking pictures (lol) but also in the 2 hours drive we had to make to get to our destination. The time provided the opportunity to brainstorm on different business ideas, talk about diverse topics including our faith so much that I felt we got to know ourselves some more and it didn’t matter that we caught only two fishes. As I reflected on the experience, I realized we can have joy in the process of achieving our goals and desires.
Make the best of your now and every opportunity. It forms part of your success story
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