By Tracy A. Phaup

The Japanese have long been known for their appreciation of Sushi as well as the massive fishing industry that has grown up to support it. What's also been known is that the Japanese have had an unfortunate tendency to over fish their waters in an apparent effort to fish as close to shore as possible so they could bring the freshest fish to market.

As the waters became more and more over fished and captains were forced to go further and further out to sea, Japanese consumers were increasingly unhappy with the quality of the fish that was brought back. As bringing the fish back to shore took longer and longer, they were also lying dead for longer and longer periods of time and the Japanese people could taste the difference.

The fishermen were concerned and were trying to figure out ways to bring the freshest catch back that was possible.

They went to great expense to install freezers on their boats. That way as the fish were caught and began to fill the hold the fisherman could immediately freeze them and preserve as much freshness as possible.

It didn't work; they could still taste the difference and people didn't want to buy their fish.

"Well, " the fisherman thought, "- what if we kept them alive for the entire trip back?"

So now they went to even greater expense to figure out ways to keep the fish in water during the entire trip back so that the fish would still be alive when they reached their port.

But that didn't work, either; they could still taste the difference.

The fishermen were baffled. How could that be possible if the fish were still alive when they reached land? The fish were packed gill to gill as they were being kept alive in the tank... Could that have something to do with it?

After great thought they decided to try something; if the fish tasted less fresh because they were no longer moving in the water, what could they do?

It wasn't a feasible solution for them to make the tanks big enough for the fish to swim freely, but what if they gave the fish a real incentive to struggle to move no matter how closely they were packed?

So they added sharks to their tanks.

Finally the Japanese consumers were unable to taste the difference.

Out of the Japanese fishing industry finding a compelling solution for a powerful problem we can take many lessons about the fabric of our own lives.

It seems that when we encounter problems and complications in our lives a natural reaction to them is an ongoing sense of getting them resolved so we can get back to "normal".

Like the fish, we're wishing there were a lot fewer sharks in our tanks.

And we're commonly encouraged to stop thinking of them as "sharks" and to start thinking of them as "challenges" and "opportunities".

I think that's a lukewarm, half hearted response at best!

I would suggest that the next time we get another shark thrown in our tank a better response is simply a passionate "YES!"

"Yes! I've got another opportunity to struggle into the next phase of who I can be!"

"Yes! I don't get to rest on past accomplishments or coast!"

"Yes! I can't wait to see what's on the other side of this shark!"

Maybe it's simply a form of human insanity to want fewer sharks in our tanks and that throwing ourselves wholeheartedly at the next shark coming at us could be the most liberating act of our lives!

Here's hoping you swim with the sharks!

Your partner in saying "YES!" passionately to life,
Tracy A. Phaup
www.Tracy-Phaup.com