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12 - Always Do Your Best
A carpenter was working for
a contractor for many years. He had grown old so he thought to retire. He went
to his employer-contractor and told him that he wanted to retire now as he was now
very old to do such a heavy work.
His employer was
sorry to know that one of his very best and most loyal workers was leaving. He
tried to persuade him to work for some more years for him but the carpenter was
firm in his words. At last he could make him agree to build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter
agreed for this, but it was easy to make out that his heart was not in his work.
He was lazy in working,
his workmanship was not as good as before and he used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his
career. When the carpenter finished his work and his employer came to see the
house he built, he appreciated him and thanked him to obey his last request.
Then as a gift for his good services of so many years, the contractor handed the front-door key to the
carpenter and said - "This is
your house, my gift to you. Please accept it, don't say "no" to it."
What a shock, what a
shame. The carpenter got shocked to hear his employer's words. If he had only
known that he was building his own house, he would have done it all so well and
so differently that he would feel enjoyment living in it. Now he had to live in
that house, which he had built the worst in his whole life, for his whole life.
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[So it happens with us too. We all build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than
acting, willing to put up less than the best, especially when working for others.
On most occasions we do not render the job as our best job. Then, one day, we
find with a shock, that we are living in the same house which we have been building
for others. Think of yourself as the
carpenter, think about your life, it is like that last house which you will be
building for yourself, so build it wisely. It is the only life you have ever got
to build a house in which you are going to live. Even if you have to live it for only one day more, that day
should deserve the best, to be lived graciously and with
dignity.]
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