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!
27 comments
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January 3, 2012 at 7:25 am
Romantic Minimalist
Reblogged this on Romantic Minimalist and commented:
I thought this was a poignant post.
January 4, 2012 at 8:25 am
zendictive
bows (~_~) humble
January 3, 2012 at 7:29 am
Janece
And hopefully, that makes for some very good news for everyone! 🙂 Happy New Year, Art!
January 4, 2012 at 8:29 am
zendictive
well, I hope carpenters read this (grin)
January 3, 2012 at 8:11 am
lorrelee1970
Another great post. Happy New Year.
January 4, 2012 at 8:30 am
zendictive
happy new year to you lorreelee (~_~)
January 3, 2012 at 9:08 am
Jackie L. Robinson
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
January 4, 2012 at 8:31 am
zendictive
yes, and for us to take pride in what we do… (~_~)xo
January 3, 2012 at 9:37 am
ladywithatruck
Excellent post!
January 4, 2012 at 8:31 am
zendictive
hello, ladywithatruck… welcome (~_~)
January 3, 2012 at 9:43 am
Warrior Poet Wisdom
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
January 4, 2012 at 8:34 am
zendictive
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! (~_~)
January 3, 2012 at 10:45 am
Cat Forsley
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
January 4, 2012 at 8:35 am
zendictive
exactly, take pride in ourselves and what we do (~_~)
January 3, 2012 at 11:10 am
willowdot21
so true life is what you make it
January 4, 2012 at 8:35 am
zendictive
ah yes… karma (grin)
January 3, 2012 at 12:00 pm
Linda Vernon
Thank you for the booster chair on this baby new year!
January 4, 2012 at 8:36 am
zendictive
I like that (~_~) and the year grows quickly
January 3, 2012 at 2:32 pm
Fergiemoto
So true! Doing shoddy work cannot give you a good sense of pride, in my opinion.
January 4, 2012 at 8:37 am
zendictive
I can only imagine what this guy thinks while walking through his new home realizing he could have done better (~_~)
January 4, 2012 at 1:54 am
granbee
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.
January 4, 2012 at 8:39 am
zendictive
I love it… it sounds like a fishing bobber, perhaps a fishing for enlightened folk (~_~)
January 4, 2012 at 11:07 am
Sue Dreamwalker
“” Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.””,. So very True Art..
January 4, 2012 at 8:14 pm
Pocket Perspectives
Oh Art…another wonderfully insightful story…with such an important message… thank you, thank you…
January 5, 2012 at 12:22 pm
zumpoems
Been a while since I read this — always enjoyable and worth keeping in mind.
January 11, 2012 at 3:17 pm
WordsFallFromMyEyes
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.
February 2, 2012 at 1:03 am
Envision the Possibilities « Mental Health Food
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