Sharpen Your Axe
Sharpen Your Axe
Once upon a time there were two men in a wood-chopping contest. They were tasked with chopping down as many trees in the forest as they could from sun-up to sun-down. The winner would be rewarded with both fame and fortune.
From morning till noon, both men steadily chopped and chopped. By noon they were neck and neck, but then one man took a break and stopped chopping. The other man saw this and thought to himself: “The lazy fool, he’s probably taken a break for lunch. He’s given me a chance to get ahead of him and I will without doubt win this contest!”
A while later the man got back to work. As the day continued he chopped more trees than his hard-working (and hungry) competitor and by mid-afternoon he had taken a clear lead.
When sundown came, the man who had taken the break at noon had chopped almost twice as many trees as the other man, who was drenched in sweat, hungry and exhausted.
“How did you beat me?” he asked puzzled. “You were lazier than I and even took a break for lunch!”
“Ah,” said the other man, “I did take a break, but it was during that break, that I sharpened my axe.”
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Some people value busy-ness more than productivity. Time and effort are the primary ingredients of work but they do not independently determine the product you produce. Where you spend your time and efforts are equally as valuable as how much time and effort you expend.
Abraham Lincoln, a skilled woodcutter himself, once said “Give me six hours to cut down a tree and I will use the first four sharpening the axe”. President Lincoln was known for his productivity and high levels of energy for everything he did and it is likely due to his proper management of resources. He learned the value of efficient work that comes from a properly maintained tools as well as body and mind.
While there are many lazy, unmotivated people in the world, there are also people that work tirelessly day in and day out. I’m sure you are one of the latter! It may be worth your meditation to evaluate whether you are working efficiently or just working hard.
I am away sharpening my axe this week (probably rounding my belly also) and I value the opportunity to be able to do so, although I am missing you dearly. I look forward to returning home well rested and sharpened to make our efforts together more fruitful.
I love you
Jonathan