building your life
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer/contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”
What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.
So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.
Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.”
Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.
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for those who may not have read these… similar (but- not) posts
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build your life one day at a time!
Reblogged this on Romantic Minimalist and commented:
I thought this was a poignant post.
Romantic Minimalist - January 3, 2012 at 7:25 am |
bows (~_~) humble
zendictive - January 4, 2012 at 8:25 am |
And hopefully, that makes for some very good news for everyone!
Happy New Year, Art!
Janece - January 3, 2012 at 7:29 am |
well, I hope carpenters read this (grin)
zendictive - January 4, 2012 at 8:29 am |
Another great post. Happy New Year.
lorrelee1970 - January 3, 2012 at 8:11 am |
happy new year to you lorreelee (~_~)
zendictive - January 4, 2012 at 8:30 am |
As always, this post is filled with a potent but gentle reminder to be who we are and mindfully create in our lives. Thank you! xo
Jackie L. Robinson - January 3, 2012 at 9:08 am |
yes, and for us to take pride in what we do… (~_~)xo
zendictive - January 4, 2012 at 8:31 am |
Excellent post!
ladywithatruck - January 3, 2012 at 9:37 am |
hello, ladywithatruck… welcome (~_~)
zendictive - January 4, 2012 at 8:31 am |
Wonderful story! Yes, instead of crying and complaining, we’re always best to take responsibility and have the courage to say “I did this to myself.”
Shared on my Facebook page.
Peace & grace,
~Miro
Warrior Poet Wisdom - January 3, 2012 at 9:43 am |
I know that so many will go through the motions of work just to get through a day and make a dollar and then there are those who take pride in what they do. I call it you either go to your employment or you go to work! (~_~)
zendictive - January 4, 2012 at 8:34 am |
we are a sum of all of our experiences – choices – all that —- i believe this – Art- Great write – Taking Responsibility for all the things we do have control over —— somethings we do not have control over – but we can make the best and Build Build Build upon them ….. ! Building and Creating In The Now ,,,,, Cuz Now is all that exists –
Awesome wisdom Art !
xx
Cat
Cat Forsley - January 3, 2012 at 10:45 am |
exactly, take pride in ourselves and what we do (~_~)
zendictive - January 4, 2012 at 8:35 am |
so true life is what you make it
willowdot21 - January 3, 2012 at 11:10 am |
ah yes… karma (grin)
zendictive - January 4, 2012 at 8:35 am |
Thank you for the booster chair on this baby new year!
Linda Vernon - January 3, 2012 at 12:00 pm |
I like that (~_~) and the year grows quickly
zendictive - January 4, 2012 at 8:36 am |
So true! Doing shoddy work cannot give you a good sense of pride, in my opinion.
Fergiemoto - January 3, 2012 at 2:32 pm |
I can only imagine what this guy thinks while walking through his new home realizing he could have done better (~_~)
zendictive - January 4, 2012 at 8:37 am |
Art, you have given us a gentle, yet firm, set of lessons in care-taking: taking great care, being full of care, with ourselves. We ARE already whole. We simply must stop trying to strip off parts of ourselves that confuse us. Everytime I have ever looked at the Ying and Yang symbol above, I image an extremely smooth black and white patterned sphere rolling in the surf, bobbing and shining and grinning at all on the shore.
granbee - January 4, 2012 at 1:54 am |
I love it… it sounds like a fishing bobber, perhaps a fishing for enlightened folk (~_~)
zendictive - January 4, 2012 at 8:39 am |
“” Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.”",. So very True Art..
Sue Dreamwalker - January 4, 2012 at 11:07 am |
Oh Art…another wonderfully insightful story…with such an important message… thank you, thank you…
Pocket Perspectives - January 4, 2012 at 8:14 pm |
Been a while since I read this — always enjoyable and worth keeping in mind.
zumpoems - January 5, 2012 at 12:22 pm |
This is just fantastic (AGAIN). Your posts are brief, real, valuable. You are a spiritual rest stop here on wordpress. I really appreciate your tales. Thank you – you do cause me to reflect.
WordsFallFromMyEyes - January 11, 2012 at 3:17 pm |
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