We were taking a walk near the Pacific coastline when, crossing a bridge over an estuary, we noticed a solitary fisherman navigating his way barefooted through the rocky shore and into the ocean.

All of the other fisherman were clustered together on a nearby pier; our fisherman stood apart and away from the majority.

All of the other fisherman were using fancy fishing poles, lines, hooks, and bait; our fisherman had only a net.

All of the other fisherman were stationary waiting for the fish to bite; our fisherman was moving back and forth surveying the water looking for the right opportunity.

We were genuinely mesmerized by him. Before we knew it, 20 minutes had passed and other passersby, wondering what we were watching, joined us as our small crowd admired and respected his every move.

Unlike the other fisherman nearby who didn’t catch any fish during our time there, our fisherman caught a fish on two separate occasions (one of which is captured in this video).

Over the ensuing week, we went past this same spot many times looking for our fisherman hoping we could see him again.

I personally watched this short recording I took many times throughout the week as I pondered why we felt such a connection to him. My only thought was that we were rooting for him because he represented such wisdom, such struggle, and such persistence. I can think of no less than 10 lessons he was teaching us without even trying to do so:

1. Go where others aren’t and find your own path even if it means standing alone.
2. Be patient and play the long game.
3. Sacrifice your comfort even if it means walking on the rocky shore barefoot.
4. Stay focused on the mission ignoring the frivolous minutiae in the distance.
5. Have a plan but go with the flow because you can’t predict the timing of the waves.
6. When you get hit, all you can do is shake it off and get back up.
7. Use the tools at your disposal instead of worrying about the fact you don’t have the tools others do.
8. When you see the right opportunity, have the courage to shoot your shot.
9. Don’t be greedy going for the windfall; one fish at a time will win the day.
10. Respect and protect your tools and your harvest.

I wish we’d been able to find him so we could tell him how much he had inspired us.

I hope he someday finds this video and these words so he can appreciate his influence.