Once upon a time, a very strong woodcutter asked for a job with a timber merchant, and he got it. The pay was really good and so were the work conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best. His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to work. The first day, the woodcutter brought 21 trees.

“Congratulations,” the boss said. “Go on that way!”

Very motivated by the boss’ words, the woodcutter tried harder the next day but he only could bring 17 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he only could bring 10 trees. Day after day, he was bringing less and less trees.

“I must be losing my strength”, the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on.

“When was the last time you sharpened your axe?” the boss asked. “Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees.”

Sometimes working hard alone is not enough to achieve success. You have to work smartly too! The woodcutter in the story is the best person for the job but he doesn’t have the right attitude to be successful in this particular task. With the right attitude, nothing is impossible in life.

Message: Sharpening your skills from time to time is one of the keys to success!