What It Takes to Be Sharpened?

Using an analogy of someone trying to cut down a tree with a dull ax-head, you find this person will have to work harder than the person who has a sharpened ax-head.

I was giving this analogy in a team meeting and my team asked the question, why was the ax-head dull? #DifferentPerspective
Have you ever wondered why or what caused the ax-head that was once sharp to now be dull? Was it because he or she used their ax too much? Sure that’s one answer. However the dull ax-head is a good indicator of its use, but it also indicates the lack of care or maintenance by its users. Oftentimes we are using a dull ax-head to perform our jobs and it’s creating inefficiencies all around us and we might not notice it. We might be using a dull ax-head in our home, not realizing it’s the thing that might be causing the lack of joy and stress we often feel in life.

How does one sharpen their ax-head?
As a good practice, we should always sharpen our ax-heads–our skills.
The Bible provides some really good insight into this. It says that iron sharpens iron. ^[1] It takes a piece of metal that is just as strong, if not stronger, to produce a sharper edge to the ax-head. Who in your life is sharp enough to sharpen your ax-head? Who has what it takes to sharpen your life?

A Dull Life is Easy to Find
Using a dull ax-head, so to speak, indicates that one is normal. You know this, but would certainly not want to admit, but the majority of the folks you see around you, are using dull ax-heads. Why is that? Having a dull ax is easy? Having a dull ax-head, untrained skills, lacking discipline, and living out of control doesn’t take any effort. Sharpening that ax-head, your talent, your skills, takes work. To become the best in your field or in your sport takes more than average effort. You see if average, ordinary was good enough, then everyone would be stellar. Everyone would be using a sharpened ax-head. The fact is everyone will not be stellar. The fact is only a few will be stellar because only a few are willing to do what it takes to sharpen her or his ax-head.

Question: what are you doing to keep your ax-head sharpened?

[1] Proverbs 27:17 KJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬, Bible.com, accessed May 26, 2023, https://www.bible.com/bible/1/PRO.27.17.KJV

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