Read and Reflect

Japanese fresh fish

The Japanese have always loved 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 in the fish. If the return trip took more than a few days, the fish were not fresh. 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. And they did not like 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 thrashing 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 freshfish

taste. The Japanese preferred the lively taste of fresh

fish, not sluggish fish.

So how did the Japanese fishing companies solve this problem? How do they get freshtasting

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.

As soon as you reach your goals, such as earning good money, getting a good position, starting a successful company, paying off your debts or whatever, you might lose your

passion. You don?t need to work so hard so

you relax. Like the Japanese fish problem, the best solution is simple. It was observed by L. Ron Hubbard in the early 1950?s. ?Man

thrives, oddly enough, only in the presence of a challenging environment?.

The Benefits of a Challenge

The more intelligent, persistent and competent you are, the more you enjoy a good problem. If your challenges are the correct size, and if you are steadily conquering those

challenges, you are happy. You think of your challenges and get energized. You are excited to try new solutions. You have fun. You are alive!

Recommendations :

Instead of avoiding challenges, jump into them. Beat the heck out of them. Enjoy the game. If your challenges are too large or too numerous, do not give up. Failing makes you

tired. Instead, reorganize. Find more determination, more knowledge, more help. Don?t create success and lie in it. You have resources, skills and abilities to make a difference. Put

a shark in your tank and see how far you can really go! Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce back. ?Make Your Own Way?.