An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer 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 employer 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 employer came to inspect the house and 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 tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today. 

    一位上了年紀的木匠作好了退休的準備。他告訴老板他準備離開建筑行業，與老伴和兒孫們一起共享天倫之樂，過一種更悠閑自得的生活。雖然他因此而少了份薪水，但他想退休了。至于日子嘛，還可以湊合著過。

    眼看這位優秀的木工就要離去，老板很遺憾。他問木工可否幫忙再建一所房子。木工答應了，可明眼人一眼就看得出來，此時他做事心不在焉，做出的活兒技藝粗糙，用的料也沒那么講究了。他就這樣為自己的建筑生涯劃上了句號，真是令人遺憾。

    房子建好后，老板過來看新房并交給木工一把前門鑰匙，說：“這房子歸你了，我送給你的禮物。”

    多么讓人吃驚，多么讓人羞愧啊！假如他知道在為自己造房，他會做得大不一樣。現在他不得不住在自己建造的那所粗制濫造的房子里了。

    我們又何嘗不是如此呢？我們心浮氣躁地打造生活，不是主動工作而是被動應付，能省事就省事。關鍵的時候也沒盡心盡力。驀然回首，才瞠目結舌地發現自己正住在自己建造的那所房子中，自食苦果。早知如此，何必當初。

    就當你自己就是那位木工吧。就當你為自己建房，每天要釘釘、鋪板、砌墻。那么，你就該用心地去建。你的生活只能這樣建造。哪怕你只在房子里多生活一天，這一天也應該活得優雅、有尊嚴。墻上的銘匾寫道：“生活正如一項為自己打造的工程。”還有什么比這更清楚的呢？明日的生活之果，孕育于你今天的態度和抉擇之樹上。