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 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 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 a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live 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.
中文：
一位上了年龄的木匠作好了退休的筹备。他告诉老板他筹备离开建筑行业，与老伴和儿孙们一块共享天伦之乐，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，还可以凑合着过。
眼看这位出色的木工就要离去，老板非常遗憾。他问木工可否帮忙再建一所房屋。木工答应了，学习英语的好网站，可明眼人一眼就看得出来，此时他做事心神不定，做出的活儿技艺粗糙，用的料也没那样讲究了。他就如此为我们的建筑生涯划上了句号，真是让人遗憾。
房屋建好后，老板过来看新房并交给木工一把前门钥匙，说：这房屋归你了，我送给你的礼物。
多么叫人吃惊，多么叫人羞愧啊！倘若他了解在为自己造房，他会做得大不同。目前他不能不住在自己建造的那所粗制滥造的房屋里了。
大家又何尝不是这样呢？大家心浮气躁地塑造生活，不是主动工作而是被动应对，能省事就省事。重要的时候也没尽心尽力。蓦然回首，才哑口无言地发现自己正住在自己建造的那所房屋中，自食苦果。早知这样，何必当初。
就当你一个人就是那位木工吧。就当你为自己建房，天天要钉钉、铺板、砌墙。那样，英语免费学习网站，你就该用心地去建。你的生活只能如此建造。就算你只在房屋里多生活一天，英语免费学习网站，这一天也应该活得高雅、有尊严。墙上的铭匾写道：生活正如一项为自己塑造的工程。还有哪些比这更了解的呢？明日的生活之果，孕育于你今天的态度和抉择之树上。
