Sharks in the Tank

An interesting story about Japanese fishermen that was recently forwarded to me:

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 farther than ever. The farther
the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring back the fish. The longer it
took them to bring back the fish, the staler 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 farther 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 got over 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 get 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!"

*Moral Of story - *

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!