On Tuesday morning we had a wonderful talk by Ms. Lavanya about the importance of an attitude of complete sincerity, commitment, and passion towards our work in our lives.
Here’s the story of a carpenter which teaches us these values.
The Carpenter
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. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one last 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 that 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 which was not too good. So it is the same case 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. It is your work that speaks for you and who you are. It defines you completely. If you take your work for granted and not pay much interest in what you do, however small it may be or whoever may benefit from that work, it is all going to reflect upon you.
Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitude and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitude and the choices you make today.
Ponder over the following quotes,
Ms. Lavanya Raghavan is very passionate about teaching Science and Mathematics. Currently, she is handling Physics for High School and Mathematics for Middle School.
Punctuality is a valued trait. When you are on time it simply means that you value YOURSELF as well as OTHERS. It portrays you as a disciplined person who respects others and values their time.
Then, why such a good manner is dying? Casualness is one of the main reasons for such an approach. If the delay happens once or twice, one can understand it's an emergency, but when it becomes a repeated habit; then the approach is casual. If a person does not value the time of others, it reflects their insensitivity towards others. Fashion or creating self-importance could be another reason for being late. Some people assume that if they arrive late to an occasion, others will give them importance, considering them to be very busy people, while the truth may be different. Importance of time should perhaps be taught from childhood itself. It should be made habitual in all families so that the children can learn to be on time as a gesture of respect. When such habits are encouraged in families it extends to the outside world as well. Being on TIME also ensures many other good habits and helps in better focus for a disciplined life. A disciplined schedule not only helps the mind to be in focus and stress-free but also a disciplined body is more active and healthy. Many times we have seen an important event or class getting canceled or delayed due to absence or late coming of people. If we really want to encourage discipline, instead of canceling or delaying the event we should stick to time and avoid the latecomers. This will keep people who are on time motivated and set an example for latecomers. Let the small planning lead to better time management. Make being on time a habit, not a forced task.
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