Choices – we make them and they make us

Mar 22, 2017 • admin@sciloo.com

After a long and tiring career, an elderly carpenter was getting ready to retire. He told his head of his plans to leave the construction job and live a more peaceful life with his wife and the extended family. He said, I will miss the money, but I need to retire as I am tired of doing the same job daily and want to break out of it. The head was sad to see this good worker go and asked if he could build just one last house as a personal favour.

The carpenter said I will do it, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He started doing shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career. It also showed he was in haste and it affected his work.

When the carpenter finished his work, the head came to check the house. He handed the house keys to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you for all the hard work you did for me all the years along.”

The carpenter was shocked and sad! If he could have known early he was building his own house, he could have done it differently and nicely.

sad and thinking

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 realise we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it again, we’d do it much differently. But we cannot go back.

You are the carpenter. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Life is a do-it-yourself – project. Your attitudes and the choices you make today will build the “house” you live in tomorrow. So better build it wisely!

Put thought into your actions and choices/decisions as they will affect your outcomes. It doesn’t mean that you don’t live on your terms but you keep yourself aware of that your life is made of your decisions. The decisions you are taking now are as per the life you want to see not in the haste.

All the best, have a happy and successful life. Please share your views and real life examples in the comments section.