"Not very long," answered the Mexican.

"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.

The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a
siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my
friends, play the guitar, and sing a few songs... I have a full life."

The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard, and I can
help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then
sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a
bigger boat."

"And after that?" asked the Mexican.

"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a
second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of
trawlers.

Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate
directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant.

You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los
Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new
enterprise."

"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.

"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.

"And after that?"

"Afterwards? Well my Friend, That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing.

"When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?" said the Mexican.

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near
the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take
a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings doing what you like and
enjoying your friends."

And the moral is:

Know where you're going in life...

you may already be there.

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I read this already in a forwarded email years ago.  Just saw it again on http://carmencita13.multiply.com