The carpenter’s house

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer 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 employer 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 employer came to inspect the house and 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 tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

木匠的房子

一位年迈的木匠准备退休了。他告诉他的老板他准备离开建筑业的打算，他说他想和他的妻子过一种更休闲的生活，享受天伦之乐。他还说他会怀念这里的薪水的，但他必须退休了，他的离职他们慢慢就会适应的。

老板对他的这位优秀员工的离去感到非常遗憾，于是问他是否可以盖最后一栋房子作为私下里的帮忙。这位木匠答应了，但显而易见他做事的时候是心不在焉的，他的手工做得毛毛糙糙，用的材料也是次品。

这样结束他的事业是不幸的，当木匠最后完工，老板来看房子时，他把前门的钥匙交给木匠说，“这是你的房子，是我送给你的礼物。”

震惊！羞愧！如果他早知道他是在盖自己的房子，他肯定会做得截然不同的，现在他不得不住在自己建的糟糕透顶的房子里面。

这个道理同样适合我们，在营造生活时，我们的精力被分散到太多的地方，我们只是被动地适应而不会主动行动，而我们自己也不愿意去尽心尽力地营造我们的生活。在重要的时刻我们也没能尽自己最大的努力做好工作。然后我们吃惊地看到自己所做的一切：发现自己就处在自己营建的房子里。如果我们早意识到这一点的话，我们的做法就会完全不同。

“生活正如一项为自己打造的工程。”还有什么比这更清楚的呢？明日的生活，孕育于你今天的态度和抉择之上。