The elderly carpenter
An master carpenter was ready to retire. He told his boss of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a leisurely life with his wife.
His boss was sorry to see him go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but put no effort into it, and used cheap materials, and did not take good care as he built it. The house was poorly built.
When the master carpenter finished, his boss came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, “This is your house… my gift to you.”
The carpenter was shocked. What a shame.
If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.
So it is with us.
We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.
But, you cannot go back.
You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the “house” you will live in tomorrow.
Therefore, build your life with great care.
Every moment is important.
Every moment matters.
In order to overcome our personal challenges and build a life we enjoy, we must uncover two things:
What our true commitments are we want to focus on.
What we are doing or not doing to support them.
And finally, what are the stories you tell yourself that prevent you from building the life you want?
Here are the usual suspects.
There is never enough____________
Yes there is!
That's just the way it is
No it's not!
I tried that. It didn't work.
Talk to Thomas Edison about that.
It will never work for me
Of course it will if you create the right circumstances
It's too hard.
Yes it is...next
What's mindfulness got to do with happiness?
Everything! You spend your whole life in your own head. Make it a nice place to be.
Sometimes the best way forward is just to get extra support and follow a step by step system based on time tested principles that work, to make personal breakthroughs, both inside and out.