Enjoy some downtime. Looking forward to the New Year!

There is an old Scottish legend, a story of two lumberjacks.  Both men were skilled woodsmen although the first was much bigger and stronger, wielding a powerful axe.   He was known far and wide for his ability to clear a forest. 

In spite of his size, the second woodsman’s fame was spreading for his skill was in his accuracy.  There was very little waste in his efforts so his customers ended up with a better product for their money. Soon the word spread that his work was even better than his larger competition! 

Upon hearing this, the larger man became concerned.  He wondered, “How could this be? I am so much bigger that I MUST be better!” He proposed that the two compete with a full day of chopping trees to see who was more productive.  The winner would be declared “The Greatest Lumberjack in Scotland.” The smaller man agreed.

The next day, the entire village showed up to cheer on the lumberjacks.  The first woodsman, strong and tough, leaped into action.  He chopped forcefully and continuously without stopping knowing that every tree he cut down brought him closer to his sought-after title. 

The second lumberjack jumped into action as well, attacking his trees with every intention of winning the illustrious title.  But unlike his larger competitor, this small man stopped every couple of hours and disappeared for a while into the woods.  Then he would return and get back to work. 

The villagers all whispered among themselves.  Surely, he could never win if he didn’t work longer and harder than his competitor.  His friends pleaded with him to increase his speed, to work harder but to no avail.  This pattern continued until the end of the day when both men heard the judge yell “Time’s up!”

The larger man stood, winded and exhausted, but proudly by his pile of trees knowing he had given his best.  Surely, he was the winner! The smaller woodsman also stood by his pile of trees though, unlike his competitor, the smaller man was still fresh, ready to continue if necessary. 

When all the trees were counted, it was announced that the second woodsman had indeed cut more trees and had won the title of “The Greatest Lumberjack in Scotland!”  

The larger man, confused and deflated, reluctantly congratulated the small lumberjack.  While he shook his hand, he asked him, “How did you beat me?  You weren’t even cutting trees half the time I was.  Where did you go and what were you doing?”

“I was sharpening my axe.”

Relationships at Work

We must carefully and strategically allocate our time among our relationships: Boundaries on how and when we invest time in work and in our personal life help to ensure that we have the proper investment in each category.  In my daily interactions with folks, I see one of the most compelling reasons for not working extremely long hours is that this unbalanced investment of time resources leaves you with insufficient time for activities like exercise, sleep, and relationships.  These things are absolutely necessary in order to boost real productivity. 

As we climb the ladder of success we eventually discover it is not a ladder at all.  We are climbing a pyramid. We get increasingly lonely… we have fewer friends… family… relationships. There isn't room at the top for several.  There's only room for one.

In a desperate attempt to climb the ladder of success many men and women will happily kick and trample on the heads of those beneath them.  Sadly, cutthroat competition is simply the way the world is. Some people fall into the trap of striving for success at any price. Others just give up and depend on the system to take care of them as they live off the labors of others. Both perspectives are way out of balance.  

In the fourth chapter of the Book of Ecclesiastes we are given some powerful words of wisdom: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up.  But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! 

The Pleasure of Serving

All nature yearns to serve.
The cloud serves, the wind serves and so does the burrow.

Where there is a tree to be planted, plant it yourself;
where there is an error to be corrected,
put it right yourself; where an effort is required
that everybody else shuns, make it yourself.

Be the one who removes a stone from the road,
hatred from among the hearts
and the difficulties of a problem.

There is the joy of being healthy
and that of being just; but above all,
there’s the immense joy of serving.

How sad this world would be
if everything in it were already done,
if there wasn’t a rose to be planted,
an enterprise to be started.

Do not react only to easy challenges;
it is beautiful to do what others avoid doing.

But do not make the error of believing
that only big jobs count;
there are small services that are good services,
like embellishing a table, putting books in order
or combing a child’s hair.

There is one who criticizes, another who destroys.
Be yourself the one who serves.
Serving is not limited to inferior beings.
God, who gives us the fruit and the light, serves.
He might be called: The Server.

And He has his eyes fixed on our hands
and asks us daily: Did you serve today?
Whom? A tree, a friend, your mother?

Gabriela Mistral
Chilean Poetess
Nobel Prize 1945