There’s an old Pushkin fairytale that has stayed with me for years. I return to it often, not just because it’s part of my roots, but because it speaks to something we all experience: the tension between gratitude and ambition. And how easy it is to get swept away by the latter, losing our centre in the process.
You may know the story.
An old man and his wife live humbly by the sea. One day, the man catches a golden fish who offers to grant any wish in return for freedom. The man, surprised, releases the fish without asking for anything. But his wife is furious. She demands more first bread, then a new bucket, a new hut, and eventually… a palace. As her demands grow, so does her status, until she asks to rule the entire ocean.
That’s when the fish disappears. And the palace? Gone. They’re left exactly where they began: old rags, broken hut, bare hands.
And yet… there’s gold in this tale.
What starts as a gift, one small, magical moment of possibility is squandered not by ambition itself, but by a lack of gratitude. A hunger so untethered from the present that it forgets to honour where we came from and who we became on the way.
In my work with leaders I see this pattern too often.
You’re chasing the next milestone. The next title. The next round. But you forget to name the magic that’s already here:
The teammate who carried you during a rough quarter.
The moment you made a hard decision and stood your ground.
The courage it took to leave the comfort of ‘proven success’ and leap into the unknown.
These are your golden fish. And they often swim by unnoticed.
So here’s the invitation: pause.
Ask yourself: what am I already holding that I once wished for?
What moments, small wins, or people have shown up for me like that golden fish offering a spark, an opening, a small reward ?
Gratitude isn’t passivity. It’s power. It anchors your ambition to meaning. It sharpens your discernment. It protects you from chasing illusions that disconnect you from who you are.
I’ll leave you with this:
What if your next level isn’t about asking for more but remembering how far you’ve already come?
And from that place… choosing next steps with gratitude to what is already here and to those who supported your journey.
With love,
Tatiana