A colleague of ours gave me a thumb drive this summer. On it was the last chapter of Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, “Sharpen the Saw.” An excerpt from the chapter reads:
A woodcutter strained to saw down a tree. A young man who was watching asked “What are you doing?”
“Are you blind?” the woodcutter replied. “I’m cutting down this tree.”
The young man was unabashed. “You look exhausted! Take a break. Sharpen your saw.”
The woodcutter explained to the young man that he had been sawing for hours and did not have time to take a break.
The young man pushed back… “If you sharpen the saw, you would cut down the tree much faster.”
The woodcutter said “I don’t have time to sharpen the saw. Don’t you see I’m too busy?”
(Ouch! That smarted, so I took a day of vacation.)
As we embark on this new school year, let us all remember to keep the saw sharp, for to sharpen the saw is to preserve the greatest asset you have–you. We all need to balance the physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of our lives. We should: - eat properly, exercise daily, and rest/recover/relax;
- make social and meaningful connections with others;
- learn something new daily, read, write, and teach others;
- spend time in nature, expand spiritual self through meditation, music, art, prayer, and/or service
Sharpening will keep you fresh so you can effectively practice the other six habits. "Without renewal, the body becomes weak, the mind mechanical, the emotions raw, the spirit insensitive, and the person selfish. Not a pretty picture, is it?"
"Feeling good doesn’t just happen. Living a life in balance means taking the necessary time to renew yourself. It’s all up to you. You can renew yourself through relaxation. Or you can totally burn yourself out by overdoing everything. You can pamper yourself mentally and spiritually. Or you can go through life oblivious to your well-being. You can experience vibrant energy. Or you can procrastinate and miss out on the benefits of good health and exercise. You can revitalize yourself and face a new day in peace and harmony. Or you can wake up in the morning full of apathy because your get-up-and-go has got-up-and-gone. Just remember that every day provides a new opportunity for renewal–a new opportunity to recharge yourself instead of hitting the wall. All it takes is the desire, knowledge, and skill.” -Stephen Covey