Your Life Today Is The Result Of Your Attitudes and Choices In The Past
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer, a buildingcontractor, of his plans to leave the house building business and live amore leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He wouldmiss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. Theycould get by.
His employer was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could buildjust one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but it waseasy to see that his heart was no longer in his work. He had lost hisenthusiasm and had resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferiormaterials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the carpenter finished his work and his boss came to inspect the newhouse, 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 ownhouse, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in thehome he had built none too well.
So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting ratherthan acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we donot give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situationwe have created and find that we are now living in the house we have builtfor ourselves. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.
Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day youhammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the onlylife you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, thatday deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity.
The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Who couldsay it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes andchoices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result.
Author Unknown --- Submitted by Amy Yates --- Texas