José is more of a lifestyle, a state of mind if you will more than he is a person. This was solidified for me the first time I herd Kenny Chesney’s song “The Life”. In this song Kenny puts lyrics and music to the old parable and brings it to life through the character “José”, who is the Mexican Fisherman in the song. In once verse, Kenny sings “And to think that I thought for a while there that I had it made. When the truth is I’m really just dying To live like José”
I think all of us have an inner José, wanting to break free of the rat race and the social expectations and burdens placed on us by living the life of keeping up with the Jones. We give in to the temptation to chase the “American Dream” without ever considering what it would take to make us truly happy. After days turning into weeks, weeks into years and years into decades as I rose the military and corporate ladders and spending more and more time at work and away from family; my goal was always one more promotion away. Followed by another, then another.
I realized that given the way I was wired, I was never going to be content with my work. No matter what status or accomplishment or pay I achieved, I always wanted more. This was going to remain a never ending cycle, until the day I decided to awaken my inner José and let go of my career and my professional aspirations. I’ll be honest, it was not easy to do, I had serious concerns about how it would affect my family or my finances. Not to mention the years I put into training and education earning an MBA and a Doctorate.
I decided to pull the plug cold turkey and left my six figure, corner office job to fully embrace my new found lifestyle. and live like José. Since I made that decision a year ago, I have never slept so peacefully or enjoyed life so fully as I do right now, immersing myself in my kids schools activates and playing daddy day care and homeschool teacher so I still put to use that advanced education, although not the way I had imagined.
I, Steve (José) Bettner am living my best life in good or bad times. For you that may not be José, it could be some other real or fictional character that represents the lifestyle that would most make your soul happy. Figure out who that is an embrace it now. If you are waiting for the “right time”, unfortunately last time I looked at my watch there is no time that says “right”.
Kenny Chesney Lyrics
“The Life”
[Verse 1]
It was early one mornin’
Playa del Carmen
That’s when I first met Jose
He had a 12 foot Schooner
A 3 foot cooler
Full of the catch of the day
And he was wrinkled from grinnin’
From all of the sun he had been in
He was barefoot, cerveza in hand
He said “Gracias senor”, when I paid him too much for
All of the Snapper he had
Now I told him my friend it ain’t nothin’
In the best broken Spanish I knew
I said I make a good livin’
Back home where I’m from
He smiled and said Amigo me too
[Chorus]
He said I fish and I play my guitar
I laugh at the bar with my friends
I go home to my wife
I pray every night
I can do it all over again
[Verse 2]
Somewhere over Texas
I thought of my Lexus
And all the stuff I work so hard for
And all the things that I’ve gathered
From climbing that ladder
Didn’t make much sense anymore
They say my nest egg ain’t ready to hatch yet
They keep holding my feet to the fire
They call it paying the price
So that one day in life
I’ll have what I need to retire
[Chorus]
And just fish
And play my guitar
And laugh at the bar with my friends
And go home to my wife
And pray every night
I can do it all over again
And to think that I thought for a while there that I had it made
When the truth is I’m really just dying
To live like Jose
And just fish
Play my guitar
Laugh at the bar with my friends
Go home to my wife
Pray every night
I can do it all over again
Wouldn’t that be the life?
Wouldn’t that be the life?
mexicanfisherman.com 