just a story that I've always liked...
"There was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, to hammer a nail in the back fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Then it gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out, it won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one."
Great story
ReplyDeletetell the one about the carpenter who is about to retire when the boss asks him to build one more house..... please
ReplyDeletehttp://www.suepodany.com/The%20Carpenter.pdf
ReplyDeleteI hadn't seen that one before, Ponti Mython.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
reposting PM's story from the .pdf file in the event someone doesn't have the Adobe application...
The Carpenter
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire and he told his contractor boss of his plans to leave the house building business.
He had loved his career, but he was tired and wanted to spend more time with his wife, children and grand children.
The contractor boss was sorry to see this excellent worker go and he ask him to built one more house as a personal favor.
The carpenter agreed, but it was easy to see that his heart was not in it. His workmanship was not up to par and his materials were inferior. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the house was finished, the contractor boss came to inspect it. At the end of the inspection, the boss handed the keys to the carpenter and said, “This is your house. This is my gift to you!!
“Ohh”…. said the carpenter in shock. If only he had known he was building his own house, he would have done it differently.
Now he was forced to live in the house that he had built and none too well.
So it is with us at times. We built our lives in distracted ways.
Not taking care of our health, hurrying everywhere, missing opportunities, overreacting and often too tired to enjoy the moment. At important times, we do not give our jobs our best effort or put our best into our relationships.
Then we look with “shock” at the situation we have created and find ourselves in the “house that we have built”. If we only realized it, we might 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 it wisely! It is the only house you will ever build. Build it with love, built it with dignity, build it with respect.
The sign on the wall says …….Life is a do-it yourself project!
Your life tomorrow is a result of the choices you make today!
Both are great reminders.
ReplyDeleteThe question is: Do I trust my 7 year old with a hammer?
ReplyDeleteHe's going through an "angry stage" in his life right now and trying to find an effective and enlightening way to curb the behavior.
I'm telling you... a punching bag was the best $127.00 I ever spent...
ReplyDelete