The Japanese Fishermen

Here, I want to share the best part that I love most from the book: Life is an Open Secret – Think about It.

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 became bigger and went farther than ever.

The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring in the fish. There is a problem here. If the return trip took more than a few days, the fish would not be fresh. And the Japanese do not like the taste of a not-so-fresh fish!

To solve this problem, fishing companies decided to install freezers on their boats. Fishermen would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stayed longer. They thought this would solve the problem.

But they were wrong. The Japanese could actually taste the difference between fresh and frozen, and, of course, they did not like the taste of frozen fish.

This resulted in the frozen fish being sold at a lower price. So the fishing companies tried again.

This time, they installed fish tanks. The idea was this – they would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks alive, fin-to-fin. After a little thrashing around, the fish would stop moving. They were tired and dull, but the good news is that they were still alive.

You wouldn’t believe this, but, to the dismay of the fishing companies, the Japanese could still taste the difference. Since the fish did not move for days, they had lost their fresh-fish taste. The Japanese preferred the taste of lively fresh fish, not sluggish fish. Interesting, right?

That is when they had their brilliant idea. Listen to this.

To keep the fish tasting fresh all the time, the Japanese fishing companies still put live fish into 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, because they now have to swim actively to avoid being eaten by the shark. The fish are challenged. Subhan Allah. Wow…

Very interesting, don’t you think? The adversities that we face in our lives are actually our little sharks – sharks that we need to make sure we stay awake, alive, vibrant and active. These sharks make us more intelligent, persistent and competent in our lives.

But, if we begin to slack off in our duties, growing tired and dreary, what do you think will happen? Yup, you are right. We would be the one of the fish eaten by the shark! Yikes!

As I think about the little sharks in my life, I smile and thank Allah profusely for all the little sharks He has sent to keep me vibrant and alive.

This story is half of a chapter of the book. It really motivates me and makes me feel grateful for what I’m facing and having now. Maybe after this, I’ve to learn on how to greet all my little sharks that comes to me with a grinning smile and open arms.

“Do men imagine that they will be left (at ease) because they say, we believe, and will not be tested with affliction?”
(al-Ankabut: 2)