Gave me a bit of a giggle - copy & paste warningSelect to expand quote An American businessman was standing at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.
"How long it took you to catch them?" The American asked.
"Only a little while." The Mexican replied.
"Why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" The American then asked.
"I have enough to support my family's immediate needs." The Mexican said.
"But," The American then asked, "What do you do with the rest of your time?"
The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life, senor."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds you buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats."
"Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the consumers, eventually opening your own can factory. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will this all take?"
To which the American replied, "15-20 years."
"But what then, senor?"
The American laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO (Initial Public Offering) and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."
"Millions, senor? Then what?"
The American said slowly, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
www.bankrate.com/lifestyle/
Classic adolf...sums up the world in some ways
Be happy with your lot and enjoy life...
If your not happy.. change it..it's your life do what you want.
Beaut mate.
Heard it in a different format, but I prefer your version.
Yep, the treadmill of life...
Best essay ever EVER on the topic.
www.zpub.com/notes/idle.html
I think most people simply lack the imagination to amuse themselves adequately if not working. Look around - many people fill their lives with such tedious things - following other people play sport, watching inane TV, shopping, washing cars. Add this to a massive industry telling us that we need money to buy the things that will make us happy ie cars and bigger houses, and more expensive clothes, and financial 'security' etc and you have the perfect recipe for creating slaves to the economy. The irony of course being that those pushing this system are the biggest slaves of all - money means far far more to those at the top than to those at the bottom.
And unfortunately most people who just happen to NOT work much don't particularly appreciate how good they have it - and spend their lives watching TV or at the pub / TAB etc just wasting their lives away.
To be be in a position where you are not only able to make a choice about how much you work, but also to be aware that it is a choice to be made is a rare and wonderful thing!
When the Dalai Lama was asked what is the purpose of one's life he answered " to be useful and to be happy". I left the corporate world 30 years ago and live in a small seaside village with great waves and a real community of mainly like minded people. I changed my career, took a huge pay cut but was thing I ever did. I was home when my kids came home from school. I took 10 minutes to get to work. I didnt have to go anywhere on holidays because we were already there!
7 days so far this week, shortest 12 hours, longest 18, at 14 and a half so far today. Took a break to check SB and see this topic title at the top... 
"Work to Live or Live to Work ?"
Both - at certain stages in life...I would assume that those types of stories are written by people from a 'live-for-work' environment whom have had epiphanies and decided to write a little anecdote to describe their ideals.
In my opinion, if you are a hard worker you will no doubt live for your work at one stage or until you mature enough to realise that life isn't about the number-crunching, but about the experiences you can have & share with others. I've been lucky enough to get myself in to a position where my life doesn't revolve around my work...although at the moment it does due to an excess of work and having difficulties in saying 'NO' to clients.
A few months of solid work can't hurt though as long as the target is getting back to the relaxed life? 
I think if you can 'live to work' for at least a few years you can get yourself very well set up to 'work to live' for the rest of your life.
1. Get some qualifications that allow you to work in a field that is interesting, rewarding and fairly lucrative
2. Work hard while you have the inclination - but use your money to buy sensible long term things. Buying a decent house and paying off the mortgage is the obvious one. Ideally make some investments that will supplement your income for life.
3. Don't get into debt for dumb things like cars, holidays and consumer goods
4. Keep yourself healthy. Keep your relationships healthy as well - nothing ruins point 2 like a bitter divorce.
5. At some point make the choice to downsize your job.
6. Be happy.
Someone somewhere ( referencing not my strong point ) said
"Find a job you love and you will never work another day in your life "
People will give you money for the darnest things
And evil panda I couldn't agree more I find it so sad when people say they would keep working after winning lotto ( unless they really are living my above quote)
