The following story is told by Dr. Richard Carlson and is fitting for us to consider when we find ourselves getting bogged down in the minutia of our daily life.
I heard a story about two workers who were approached by a reporter. The reporter asked
the first worker, “What are you doing?” His response was to complain that he was virtually a
slave, an underpaid bricklayer who spent his days wasting his time, placing bricks on top of
one another.
The reporter asked the second worker the same question. His response, however, was quite
different. “I’m the luckiest person in the world,” he said. “I get to be a part of important and
beautiful pieces of architecture. I help turn simple pieces of brick into exquisite
masterpieces.”
They were both right.
The point of the story is that we can see what we want to see in most anything? If I want to find problems in a project, I will find problems. If I want to find fault in people, there is plenty of fault to find. At the same time, if I want to find solutions, they will be there; or an individual’s strengths readily become evident. Think about it – when you see a new-born crying, do you hear a noisy kid or do you see a precious life that someone is privileged to shape?
We can choose the lens through which we see the world and its possibilities. I urge you today, as you look around, look past the drudgery for the big picture. It will definitely be a lot more fun!