WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SHARPENED YOUR AXE?

I read this story the other day about this guy who was trying to land a job as a wood cutter. So he goes to this lumber company and approaches the foreman and said "I'm here for the job, I want to be a wood cutter". The foreman said OK cool, show me what you got. The foreman told the guy let me see you cut down this tree. Because the job had great pay and benefits and working conditions the man wanted to be sure to do a great job and impress the foreman to insure his position. So The man whipped out his axe and within minutes had successfully chopped down the tree. The foreman was so impressed that he offered the man the job on the spot. He told him that he could start on Monday. Monday comes and the man goes to work. He cuts down 18 trees on his first day. the foreman was impressed. Tuesday comes and the man cuts down 13 trees. Wednesday comes and the man concerned about the decline in his productivity said to himself "I know what I will do, I will double my effort today and I will get back to cutting down 18 trees again in no time". So, Wednesday comes and the man goes to work with a new attitude determined to cut down at least 18 trees. But, despite his best efforts, Wednesday ends and the man could only cut down 10 trees. Thursday comes and the same thing happens. The man tries his hardest to double his efforts. He even says "I'm going to skip lunch, I'm not going to take any breaks at all, I'm going to work as hard as I can for as long as I can". But despite all of this, Thursday comes and the man ends the day with 8 trees. The man comes in at the end of his shift on Thursday and hangs up his hat and his equipment and all of that and the foreman says to the man, "you can pick up your check on the way out today". The man says "pick up my check? I thought we get paid on Fridays". The foreman said "yeah we normally pay on Fridays but, we gotta let you go today because according to our charts you have fallen behind. You went from 18 trees to 8 you went from first place to last and well, sorry son we gotta let you go".  The man said "I don't get it . How could this be? I'm one of the hardest workers you have, I'm always the first to arrive and always the last to leave. I work through my coffee breaks and my lunch breaks. I never stop all I do is cut wood, I never take breaks". The foreman thought about everything the man was saying and agreed that the man was the hardest worker that he had and he never took breaks, why is he falling behind the foreman thought. Sensing the mans integrity the foreman looked up and asked the man "WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SHARPENED YOUR AXE"?  The man replied "SHARPEN MY AXE? MAN I DON'T HAVE TIME TO BE SHARPENING NO AXE! I BEEN TOO BUSY TRYING TO CUT DOWN TREES!

I guess the point of this story and the point of me telling this story is I have learned recently that in our day to day lives, we can so easily get caught up in our grinds our jobs our businesses our work. We try to go so hard day in and day out thinking that the more hours we spend doing something, the more productive we will be. A lot of times what we don't realize is that our lives are similar to the blade of an ax. If you continue to use that blade without sharpening it the blade eventually becomes dull and useless. If in your life and work if you continue to work and work and never take time to read books, go back to school, take classes or attend seminars related to your field, if you don't take the time to improve your skills or gain as much insight into you business or industry or craft as possible if you forget about the importance of mental, physical health and fitness, and don't eat right or exercise at all, if you don't take time to kiss your kids or hang out with your wife and family, if you don't take time to meditate or reflect on your life and progress, and all you do is try to work and "cut wood" and go hard work and go hard GRIND GRIND GRIND. Eventually your life will end up like that overused axe blade. THE AXE AND YOUR LIFE WILL BOTH BE DULL AND USELESS! You will have worked and worked and worked your whole life and by the time you look up you will find yourself making less and less progress.

I have recently learned that if you are busy trying to "Cut down trees" if you are trying to create and run a successful business and be an entrepreneur, if you are aspiring to be a professional rapper, singer, dancer, actor or actress, doctor, nurse, speaker, sales person, barber, graphic designer, personal trainer, beautician, or launching a clothing or jewelry line etc. Remember that what you are embarking on is BUSINESS. Its called show BUSINESS, the music BUSINESS its the beauty INDUSTRY, its the health care INDUSTRY, the fashion INDUSTRY. Business and industry are CONSTANTLY moving forward. There are always new innovations and technologies and systems being developed and rolled out and if you are not reading, or going to trade shows or networking and constantly learning then you are falling behind and your "blade" will eventually get dull.

I have learned that when it comes to "cutting down trees" it is isn't always about who could swing an ax the hardest or the fastest or about who is the strongest or who could swing the ax the most times. The fella who is going to go home with the most wood will most likely be the fella with the sharpest axe.

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening my axe."

-Abraham Lincoln

 

SIGN UP FOR A CLASS, GO BACK TO SCHOOL, JOIN A TRADE ORGANIZATION, INTERN, VOLUNTEER, GO TO TRADE SHOWS, RESEARCH YOUR FIELD, EXPAND YOUR PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE, FIND A MENTOR WHO IS ALREADY SUCCESSFULLY DOING WHAT YOU WANT TO DO etc. DO WHAT IT TAKES TO GET BETTER AND IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS! DO WHAT IT TAKES TO SHARPEN YOUR AXE!

 

KEEP DREAMING! KEEP BELIEVING IN THOSE DREAMS! KEEP PURSUING! KEEP LOVING! KEEP MOVING FORWARD AND LETS KEEP ENCOURAGING AND HELPING EACH OTHER TO DO THE SAME, FOR.......

 

AS IRON SHARPENS IRON, MAN SHARPENS MAN!

Proverbs 27:17

THE WORLD IS OURS!

PEACE!