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How are you building your life?

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor 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 contractor 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 builder came to inspect the house, the contractor 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 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.

Author Unknown

{ 21 comments… add one }
  • Koju anel April 6, 2015, 8:09 am

    Masterpiece !!

  • Yomama November 24, 2014, 12:34 pm

    😛

  • Ako August 2, 2013, 11:33 am

    Really inspiring…

  • Ashish Kumar January 19, 2013, 11:43 pm

    Very good story but those blue lines are the best… I will cherish them forever…

  • Rashmi November 7, 2012, 1:37 am

    Great inspirational story to decide our base of life which is lost 🙂

  • Rita Borg October 4, 2012, 8:12 pm

    You do the very best in life and God will do the rest.

    Thank you for teaching us to be wise.

  • Anamika Thakur September 13, 2012, 3:27 am

    Best to read…………Thanks
    So nice and touching stories.

  • Md sakhawat husain August 29, 2012, 4:53 pm

    Very nice & so insipretional story. We all need to learn a lession form this story. Thank to who published this one

    Md sakhawat husain
    saudia arabia

  • Jayson August 26, 2012, 10:04 am

    I love this site, it inspired me a lot. Each story makes me a different person after reading it.. thanks a lot!

  • Divine August 22, 2012, 6:01 am

    Such a touching story. . . Awesome one. . . . I felt it. . .

  • Ved Patel August 10, 2012, 12:31 am

    Great ……

  • Pritesh August 6, 2012, 6:45 am

    Really great story is here

  • Ynamarie August 4, 2012, 8:02 am

    Nice story, I’m so much inspired!!! Thnx to those who published it.

  • Rene August 3, 2012, 10:51 am

    Great and inspirational!! Hope to have more of this life inspiring stories. Thanks a lot!

  • mwalimu misoi August 3, 2012, 1:26 am

    People should aspire to do anything to the best irrespective of who is to benefit.

  • Gautam August 2, 2012, 3:22 pm

    Truly Inspirational. We all need to learn a lesson from this great story…..

  • Ndisya August 2, 2012, 1:06 pm

    This is a great inspirational story indeed… It defines our roles and purpose in life. Am so much inspired.

  • Jean July 31, 2012, 8:55 pm

    It defines in reality…a very inspirational one.

  • Shivi July 31, 2012, 5:59 am

    This is true reality for all of us. People will like it beacause it is motivational and related to all of us.

  • Vandana July 31, 2012, 3:06 am

    A great story…very inspirational..

  • Cherry Agrawal July 30, 2012, 10:09 am

    It is really an inspirational story. I hope people read this story and guide their lives on a right path.

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