The Story of the Carpenter

I don’t remember where I first heard this story, but I love it and have used it over and over to illustrate how important it is to make good choices!

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire.

He told his employer of his plans to leave the contracting business and live a more leisurely life.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he would 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 was disorganized, distracted and resorted to shoddy workmanship.  He used inferior materials. He had difficulty completing the project.

When he finally finished the house, he told the builder who then gave the carpenter the front door key to the house. “This is your home,” he said, “It is my gift to you”.

The carpenter was shocked and dismayed. If he had only known he was building his own house!  Now he had to live in a poorly constructed, potentially unsafe home – and he was totally responsible.

We are often just like that carpenter.

We build our lives and our work in a disorganized way, living reactively rather than proactively.   We often make poor choices and leave important things undone.  We don’t put forth our best effort.  We don’t use the best materials and resources available to us.  So we end up creating a life like the carpenter’s house.

It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live in it for only one more day, that day deserves to be lived with passion and purpose.

The plaque on the wall says, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.”

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.  Do it on purpose.