A man was admiring the fish in an aquarium pet store. “Your fish are incredible,” he said to the shopkeeper. “I want my aquarium to be as beautiful as this.”

“Thank you, but remember, I’ve had a lot of experience,” the owner said. “And anyway, my fish don’t usually stay long in these tanks. They are sold pretty quickly.”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right. What fish would you recommend for my aquarium?”

“The orange clownfish are good to keep. They’re not fussy and have great personalities. I’d start off with something easy like them.”

“Hmmmn, no thanks,” the man replied flatly. “I want something more adventurous. How about that blue one over there?”

“They’re nice fish, the Tangs, but they don’t like sharing a tank, especially with similar fish. They tend to fight a lot and are quite aggressive.”

“Ok, how about the big red and white one? That’s stunning!”

“Yes, it is, isn’t it? But Lionfish aren’t easy to keep. They need specialist care and attention. I wouldn’t recommend…”

“I’ll take it,” the man blurted out. “I want something special in my aquarium and I’m not settling for anything less.”

“Of course, sir, I’ll get it ready for you.”

Several months later, the man returned to the shop dejectedly. “That fish you sold me died,” he complained.

“I’m really sorry about that,” the owner said. “But I did warn you they are difficult fish to keep.”

“Yeah, I suppose you did,” the man replied. “But I think I know what I was doing wrong now. I’m going to buy that blue Tang I saw last time. It’s a real beauty.”

The shopkeeper said nothing. He just smiled and went out the back to prepare the fish for sale. 

Do you keep making the same mistakes over and over, struggling for things that aren’t right for you and failing again and again? 

Where does happiness lie? In difficult-to-reach places, or something right there in front of you?