The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. Michelangelo
Once we realise that we truly are the sculptors of our lives, the craftsmen who can set our souls free, we know for certain that we must work to the highest standards.
The other day I read a story about an aging carpenter who longed to be retired. He had worked long and hard and felt the need to slow his pace of life and spend more time with his family. His constant thoughts were about winding down and taking a back seat in life. Daily work was having less and less appeal for him.
The carpenter explained how he was feeling to his boss and outlined with him, his plans for retirement. Naturally his boss was sad and reluctant to release him, but at the same time, he understood the man's needs. The carpenter had been with the company for a long time, demonstrating impeccable work standards and integrity in everything he did. Although he understood his friend's need to stand down, the manager asked if the carpenter might consider building just one more house for him.
And so it was that the carpenter very reluctantly agreed to do the work. With is retirement plans shelved for the time being, he turned up for work at the appointed time, sadly, without his usual enthusiasm. That lack of enthusism soon impacted on his work standards and lead to his using second grade materials.
Over time, the home was completed and the carpenter was relieved that at last he could take his leave. On his last day, as he was about to go, there was no one person more stunned than he when his boss handed over the keys to the finished project. It was a gift of gratitude to the old man for a lifetime of impeccable work.
Now you can imagine the shock felt by the carpenter. Had he known he was going to be given such a gift, his attitude to his work would have been quite different. Perhaps he would have seen it as his Michelangelo, his David, his masterpiece. No doubt his dreams, his passion, and his ideals would have been sown into every fabric of his daily operations. And from this he would have drawn comfort in knowing that he had served out his time to the best of his ability.
A sad ending to what should have been a proud moment, is it not? But this is a story that each of us can relate to. There are times when we have all felt that we were too tired to put our best into something we have ben asked to do. But you see, no matter how old we feel, we are still on our life's journey, and as such, we should be implementing best practice to maintain the integrity of our plans, so that, when the time comes for us to reap the benefits, we can!
I'm sure there are many of us who would love to do a re-run on the carpenter's story. It seems anything but a fitting end to a lifetime of integrity, but, there we are! The clock ticks on and no magic pill or potion will serve to right that wrong. Undoubtedly you wll agree that we all have skeletons in our closets that we'd like to get rid of! It's a sad part of life!
Oh to have a magic wand, a little stick that would allow us to go back in time and correct our mistakes! That would be the answer! But we all know that in life, there is no magic wand, no magic bullet. The past is gone and the best that we can hope for is to learn from our mistakes and look towards the future.
We are the carpenters in our life! We choose our materials, and each day we progress towards the completion of our project. If we elect to use top-standard materials, and best practice, our home of tomorrow will be the home of our dreams. But if we lose sight of our ideals, and settle for second best, there is a good chance that our final outcome will be disappointing. It is in our interests therefore, to stay faithful to your dreams and to honour them for the future.
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