“To do anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.” Steve Prefontaine

As we make plans for our life and set goals consider the following story:

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 and family. He would miss the pay check, but needed to retire. They could get by.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he would build just one last home 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—my gift to  you,” he said.

Life is no different. Each of us is given lumber, a hammer, some nails, and a saw—but no instructions or blueprints for our lives. If we ignore a bent nail here, a split board there, and  wall out of plumb, we may find ourselves living in a ramshackle cabin where a beautiful home might have stood. Then we step back for a good look and recognize that we were the carpenters in charge.

Build your home with pride. Use the right tools. Get the education you need. Learn from a master. Take no shortcuts. Finish it with the finest touch. Remember—the plaque on the wall says, “ Life is a do-it yourself project.”

 

WHERE THERE’S SMOKE . . . !

I found this little story and thought it would be nice for you all to read!

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:

“Never think that God’s delays are God’s denials.”

~ Author unknown

A lone shipwreck survivor on an uninhabited island managed to build a crude hut in which he placed all that he had saved from the sinking ship. He prayed to God for deliverance, and anxiously scanned the horizon each day to hail any passing ship.

One day he was horrified to find his hut in flames. All that he had was gone. To the man’s limited vision, it was the worst that could happen and he cursed God. Yet, the very next day a ship arrived. “We saw your smoke signal,” the captain said.

Hmmm! Ever have a big sale fall through? Been disappointed when a friend or loved one failed to come through for you when you needed them? Have you wondered why a goal or objective wasn’t achieved as expected?

If you’re over the age of 18, you’ve probably noticed that we don’t get everything we would like, exactly when we think we should. Yet, it’s amazing how certain things just show up in our lives when we least expect to see them – like the rescue ship.

It is often said that we “shouldn’t get too attached to outcomes.” We can set objectives, believe they can be achieved, and work to make them happen, but it’s best not to get too attached to the outcome. What appears to be a worthy goal may go down in flames, only to be replaced with a magnificent result we had not anticipated.

When you find your hut in flames and fear the worst, think back to this oft quoted reminder: “Fear knocked at the door – faith answered – no one was there!”

Something To Think About This New Year!

The New Year always brings renewed hope and a time to reassess our life and goals. When setting goals and planning our future, we sometimes fail to look far enough ahead. Consider the following story:

A successful investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The Banker complimented the Fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Fisherman replied, “Only a little while.” The Banker then asked, “Why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” The Fisherman said, “With this I have more than enough to support my family’s needs.” The Banker then asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, then stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life.”

The Banker scoffed, “I’m a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. You would eventually open your own cannery and control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles, and eventually New York where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise.”

The Fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?” To which the Banker replied, “15 to 20 years.” “But what then?” asked the Fisherman. The Banker laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions.”

“Millions? And then what?” The Banker said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”

So . . . what are you working for? The IPO or the good life? Stop working toward “someday,” and appreciate your success on this day. Take time to enjoy the siesta!