Sharpening the Axe

Imagine you are observing a logger working tirelessly in the forest. After many hours already spent felling trees, the logger is hacking away at yet another large tree, sweating and cursing as he strikes blow after blow with his axe. After a few moments of watching the relatively ineffective hacks, you notice only minimal progress and suggest, “Why don’t you take a break and sharpen your axe?” The logger briefly pauses, wipes the sweat off his brow as he rolls his eyes and responds with, “I don’t have time to sharpen the axe, look at all these trees I still have to cut down!!!”

It is obvious to you as an observer that the most efficient thing for the logger to do would be spend a few moments sharpening the axe, thus reducing the time spent cutting down the rest of the trees. Investing that time and effort in the sharpening process would actually save time and energy in the long run. However, the logger is so wrapped up in the process that this “big picture” truth is lost on him and he … ahem … misses the forest for the trees.

How often are we the logger in the story though? We get so caught up in the moment, we miss the greater process. You are the axe in the story. Between work, stress and busyness of life, you become dulled over time and it is essential you take the time to be sharpened. That could be education, training, and many other forms of self-development or it could simply be finding time to rest and recharge. Go sharpen your axe!

Comments

Toxic Humility

We have all seen false humility: the guy who tries to hide his arrogance with feigned modesty. It’s usually pretty obvious and always obnoxious. But there is also another variation of false humility out there: toxic humility. This is often displayed in self-deprecating talk and a lack of self-confidence, belittling or undermining one’s own talents and abilities. The danger in this kind of behavior is twofold: it is too often accepted as true humility and like a virus, it spreads doubt and disbelief. To clarify, it is not that the bearer of this toxic humility isn’t honest about his view of himself. That is the very issue: he absolutely believes he has little value or utility. He thinks downplaying his own worth is humility but I disagree. CS Lewis said it best when he wrote, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking about yourself less.” His point being, true humility is not an ever-present raincloud of self-doubt that follows you around. It’s a focus on...

The Art of Intentionality

“Intentional living is the art of making our own choices before others’ choices make you.” – Richie Norton I am not even sure who Richie Norton is, but I love that quote! I imagine a ship drifting out to sea, pushed around by the wind and the waves. No course of direction, yet the captain is frustrated when the ship ends up dashed against the rocks, trapped on a sandbar or marooned on an inhospitable island. It is easy to complain when life takes us where we do not want to go. But who is really to blame if we have never set our sails to align us along an appropriate course? Do we blame the waves, wind and the weather? Or should we blame the captain of the ship? It is our life and our ship. We must set our sails with intentionality and determined choices. Otherwise, we are doomed to aimlessly drift along according to the choices and decisions of others.

Hasty Hares

We live in a world full of hares. People darting from one thing to another. Always looking for a shortcut. Constantly seeking a quick fix. Ever searching for a hack. And more than anything, they want it NOW! Speed seems to have replaced diligent planning and patient determination. It’s all about quick results, immediate feedback and instant gratification. People seem to be less concerned with the direction they are headed than how fast they are moving. They don’t know where they are going – and are quite possibly moving in the wrong direction – but at least they’re making good time! But the pace and aimless effort catches up. They get jaded and burn out. Or they simply end up “lost.” They fail to notice that movement isn’t progress. They don’t consider that sheer velocity, without control and accuracy, is dangerous and destructive. They forget the tortoise wins. Every. Single. Time. “It matters not how slowly you go. It only matters that you do not stop.” – Confucio...

Mindset Matters

Search This Blog