HAVE YOU SHARPENED YOUR AXE?

[Guest guest]

HAVE YOU SHARPENED YOUR AXE?

 

We all work and generally work hard – some times very hard!!! Generally our work

is repetitive in nature. We call it experience.

But we observe that with passage of time, our efficiency level drops down, our

output decreases, we miss out some important aspects. Though we work harder for

longer duration and carry the tension of the work home too!!! We constantly

think about work, work and work. Why this happens??

 

Read the following story …….

 

A young man approached the foreman of a logging crew and asked for a job.

" That depends, " replied the foreman. " Let's see you fell this tree. "

The young man stepped forward and skilfully felled a great tree.

Impressed, the foreman exclaimed, " You can start Monday. "

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday rolled by.

Thursday afternoon the foreman approached the young man and said, " You can pick

up your pay check on the way out today. "

Startled, the young man replied, " I thought you paid on Friday. "

" Normally we do, " said the foreman. " But we're letting you go today because

you've fallen behind. Our daily felling charts show that you've dropped from

first place on Monday to last place today. "

" But I'm a hard worker, " the young man objected. " I arrive first, leave last and

even have worked through my coffee breaks! "

The foreman, sensing the young man's integrity, thought for a minute and then

asked,

" Have you been sharpening your axe? "

The young man replied, " No sir, I've been working too hard to take time for

that! "

Our lives are like that.

We sometimes get so busy that we don't take time to " sharpen the axe. "

In today's world, it seems that everyone is busier than ever but less happy than

ever.

Why is that?

Is it that we have forgotten how to stay sharp?

There's nothing wrong with activity and hard work. But God doesn't want us to

get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like taking time

to pray, to read and study and most importantly listen to " the still small voice

of God. "

When we come home from work, we take out all office related things like office

keys, visiting card valet; visiting cards collected during the day, pen, car

keys etc. and put them at safe place till you need them for office the next day.

We take out used handkerchiefs, socks and other things and put them in laundry

bag for cleaning/washing. We also take out useless papers, paper napkins and

other useless matters and put them in dust bins.

Similarly when you return home – store all your office related planning,

decisions, thinking and ideas in a small imaginary box for next office day.

AND put all the uncertainties, worries and confusion of work in an imaginary

laundry box – and submit it to God for doing needful. HE will clean them all

make them clear and re-usable.

And all the disposables like tensions, fears, frustrations of work – put them in

dust bin or in toilet sit and flush them away.

Then relax, listen to music, talk with your family, contribute to house hold

work, watch TV, play with your grand children (I have them with me – I am lucky)

and enjoy. Pray !!!

 

This will freshen you up ! !

 

Now re-read thestory …