It’s Okay to say No!
It’s amazing what a little time and experience will teach us if we just allow it. The lessons learned these last two years have come in unexpected ways. The value of saying no can’t be overstated….Let me explain. We all have 24 hours in a day and what we decide to do with those hours is unique to each person. In fact I think if you look at how a person chooses to spend their time you can tell a lot about them. Being intentional with our time may be one of the most important skills that one can possess. It’s okay to say no to a project that you know will overwhelm you just to make a few more dollars. It’s okay to say no to that volunteering opportunity that you truly just don’t have time for at the moment. Saying no to something means saying YES to something else. Yes, to spending more time with your family. Yes, to taking care of yourself so that you can pour into others. Yes, yes, yes! We all have obligations we must attend to but take the time to reflect on how you are spending your time. Does what you spend time on reflect what truly matters to you? If not, today is a great day to start saying NO, and in return saying YES to what matters most. Be blessed!
The More We Know, The Less We Know
It was another beautifully frustrating day in the wood shop. Made some great progress on a Queen Bed Patio Swing with my dad who came to visit. As we were working, I was standing in the shop staring at this project lost in thought about what our next steps would be. I couldn’t help but make yet another connection between woodworking and life. I think we all (or most of us) start our lives not knowing much of anything. Then as we progress through the all knowing teenage years into adulthood it hits us. The more we know, the less we know. As our knowledge increases so does the realization that there’s so much more to learn and how much we really don’t know. This thing we call life is such a beautiful ride, so slow down and enjoy it. Try something new. Don’t be afraid to mess up. Learn from your experiences and expand your knowledge.
Lessons Learned
It’s amazing how quickly one can learn from their mistakes if only they are open to the self reflection. One of the most interesting things to me about woodworking is the correlation I see between it and Life. How often do we go through our daily lives messing things up only to repeat that same mistake the next day or week or year? It’s the same in woodworking! The most valuable lesson learned from creating a custom piece is learning to reflect on past mistakes in order to prevent time delays or materials wasted (have y’all checked the price of lumber lately?! 😳). One of my favorite byproducts of woodworking is making a mistake on a project and then being intentional on the next one, knowing that you just saved yourself and your customer time and money. All because you’ve learned from that past mistake. So here’s my encouragement today… Take chances. Try something new. It’s okay to mess up. Learn from that experience and you’ll be a better person for it. Keep in mind others will make mistakes along the way, so it’s vital that you take a breath and extend them some grace (Lord knows we all could use more of that in this world!). In the end we all have to live on this rock we call Earth, so why not try to better yourself by being reflective and be patient as others do the same. Be blessed and stay grateful my friends!