■生命如同为自己打造的工程
Life Is a Do-It-Yourself Project

◎Amber Alent

Power invariably means both responsibility and danger.

～Theodore Roosevelt

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[7] 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

美丽语录

Waiting to do something until you can be sure of doing it exactly right means waiting for ever.

等待有把握时再去做一件事，往往意味着永远的等待。

实力永远意味着责任和危险。

——罗斯福

一位上了年纪的木匠做好了退休的准备。他告诉老板他准备离开建筑行业，与老伴和儿孙们共享天伦之乐，过一种更悠闲自得的生活。虽然他因此而少了份薪水，但他想退休了。至于日子嘛，还能够过得去。

眼看这位优秀的木工就要离去，老板很遗憾。他问木工可否在私下里帮忙建一所房子。木工答应了，可明眼人一眼就看得出来，此时他做事心不在焉，做出的活儿技艺粗糙，用劣质材料来应付。他就这样为自己的建筑生涯画上了句号，真是令人遗憾。

木匠完工后，老板过来查看新房，并交给木工一把前门钥匙。他说：

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[8] a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live in 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.

“这房子归你了，算是我送给你的礼物。”

多么让人吃惊，太可惜了！假如他早知道是在为自己造房，他会做得大不一样。现在他不得不住在自己建造的那所粗制滥造的房子里了。

我们又何尝不是如此呢？我们心不在焉地打造自己的生活，不是主动工作，而是被动应付，能省事就省事。重要的时候也没尽心尽力做好工作。蓦然回首，才瞠目结舌地发现我们正住在自己建造的那所房子中，自食苦果。早知如此，何必当初！

把你自己当成那位木工吧。想想你在为自己建房，每天你都要钉钉子、铺木板、砌墙。那么，你就该用心地去建。你的生活只能这样建造。哪怕你只在房子里多生活一天，这一天也应该活得优雅、有尊严。墙上的铭匾写道：“生活正如一项为自己打造的工程。”还有什么比这更清楚的呢？明日的生活之果，孕育于你今日的态度和抉择之树上。