Sharpen Your Axe

[Carol Anne Kincaid~Paradis]

LIFE

Sharpen Your Axe 

The “Sharpen Your Axe” story is a fable about a man who is tasked with chopping down a tree.

The man sets to work using a dull axe, and despite his best efforts, he makes very little progress.

A wise old man comes by and asks the man why he is struggling. The man explains that he is trying to chop down the tree, but his axe is too dull.

The wise old man suggests that the man take a break and sharpen his axe.

The man is hesitant to take a break, feeling that he doesn’t have time to waste.

But the wise old man insists, explaining that sharpening the axe will actually make the task easier and more efficient.

The man finally takes a break and sharpens his axe.

When he returns to the task of chopping down the tree, he finds that it is much easier and faster with a sharp axe, and he is able to complete the task in no time.

The story is often used as a metaphor for the importance of taking breaks and investing time and effort into self-care, skill-building, and preparation.

It emphasizes that taking time to sharpen our tools and skills can actually save us time and effort in the long run, and make us more effective and efficient in our tasks.

The lesson of the story is to prioritize self-care and skill-building, and to not be afraid to take breaks or invest time and effort into preparation.