Know Thyself

Know thyself.
Part of discovering who you are is learning who you are not.
Know your skill set.

I helped a friend chop wood today.
Metaphorically speaking- everyone wants to be the wood cutter.
It's sexy.
You flex your muscles while providing wood and warmth for your family.
But it takes focus, strength and most importantly- experience.
There's the precise place that the wood wants to be struck in order to split.

My attempt at splitting wood was feeble.
Laughable.
The axe was heavy and the movement- awkward.
It was hard to swing it above my head and connect with the log.
I would swing as hard as I could and after missing my mark (so many times!)
I realized that utilizing medium strength, and speed, was better.
My aim was more true.
So while I was able to split one piece down into several stove sized logs...
my ultimate take-away was that I am not a good wood splitter.

I am a good wood stacker.
And that's important too.

I assisted the cutter so that he didn't break his stride.
It was good exercise, I got to provide comic relief and keep the vibe light.
My work also helps keep the family warm.
If the wood were scattered all willy nilly it would get wet and wouldn't be as accessible.

So consider in your life where your ego possibly pushes you to be the cutter...
when the truth is-
you're a good stacker ;)