Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

December 23, 2010 25 Comments

Like many people, I’m taking time off these two weeks to relax and spend time with my family.

I just wanted to take a moment, however, to wish you and your family, a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy holiday season.merrychristmas

I’ll leave you with a little story and then we’ll talk again next week:

The story has been around a while, in fact, I’m not even sure where it comes from originally or how I came across it.

I like this story because it reminds me that we get one shot, so we better be giving our best every single time.

Anyway, this story is called “The Carpenter’s Mistake” and it goes like this…

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “My gift to you.”

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built poorly.

And so it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, re-acting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best efforts.

Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built.

If we had realized, we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter. And your life is your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever
build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity.

The plaque on the wall says, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.”

This is so true, isn’t it?

Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

So choose wisely.

Happy holidays and warmest wishes,

susan-sig

Founder's Corner, The Lifestyle

25 Responses to “Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays”

  1. Rom Parani Reply December 24, 2009 at 12:46 pm

    Very powerful story i liked it very much. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

    Thank you,

  2. mary roberts Reply December 24, 2009 at 12:54 pm

    December 24,2009

    Dear Susan:

    I would love to be a part of your group and do the things you teach, but we just don`t have the money right now. I would need to find someone to loan me the money for doing the business and the training. Do you have any connections like that? Thanking you

    Sincerely

    Mary E Roberts

  3. fred saint Reply December 24, 2009 at 1:33 pm

    So, the carpenter did a stated cash out refinance, pull the cash out of the home and walked. The house is now in an REO pool at your local bank. Susan can teach you how to buy it for pennies on the dollar!!!

  4. elizabeth Reply December 24, 2009 at 1:34 pm

    Bless you SUSAN! i had not heard this story and will be sending it to everyone. Thank you..Lizz

  5. Keith Yon Reply December 24, 2009 at 1:55 pm

    Happy holidays to you and your family Susan thank you for this story I look forward to building in 2010 and will continue to use the tools that you and other great teachers give to me.see you next Year, best regards Yoni

  6. Lissette Blanco Reply December 24, 2009 at 4:04 pm

    I love the story, I thank you Susan for sharing with us beautiful story , it makes me reflect on the things I do and done in my life,. Thank you Susan, may God bless u and family allways, . Just want say my xmas gift is to have found out about you in october when my husband purchased the reo bulk course, since that moment I t though , you are wonderful and you are a blessing to me, and all of us that learn from your wisdom, I admire u, I will continue to follow you and would love to meet u one day. Sincerely ,
    Lissette Blanco .

  7. Allen Reply December 24, 2009 at 4:04 pm

    Loved the story! It is so applicable to all of us.
    Thanks a bunch! Merry Christmas to you and your little family. Oh…almost forgot…I just ordered the BulkReo package so Merry Christmas to me too! Ha Ha (or Ho Ho)

  8. Ron Murray Reply December 24, 2009 at 6:57 pm

    Susan Lassiter-Lyons,

    Thanks for sharing the carpentry store, I had read it many years ago, also, but had forgotten it. It is so true, thanks for the reminder.
    Merry Christmas to you and family, and may 2010 provide you with a return, from that which you have built!
    Sincerely, Ron Murray

  9. CARL Reply December 24, 2009 at 11:37 pm

    THANK YOU FOR A STORY WELL TOLD IT REALLY MADE ME THINK NOW I MUST DO MY LIFE BETTER, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR.

    CARL

  10. Irving Ward Reply December 24, 2009 at 11:51 pm

    Susan my life is in a bit of turmoil right now and i needed to read this story, its amazing how God works and gives us what we need at the time we need it. I will be purchasing your bulkreo package very soon as money has been a bit tight even as affordable as you have it. I am hoping that you will have a replay of that webinar up soon as i work at night and missed it. You are a blessing to me this Christmas I thank you for the story and look forward to working with you very soon. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!!!

  11. Gary Leachman Reply December 25, 2009 at 12:20 am

    Thanks Susan,

    I enjoyed the carpenter story very much, and it applies so well to this life we build.

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family!
    Thank you for all your help, Gary

  12. Brenda Carr Reply December 25, 2009 at 9:41 am

    There is a great deal of freedom in this story…we are so fortunate to have the freedom to be the carpenters of our lives….Thank you to the Military of past, present and future for that freedom and Thank you Susan for such a perfect message for Christmas.

  13. Gabrielle Reply December 25, 2009 at 1:46 pm

    Hi Susan,
    Merry Christmas to you and your family.
    That was a great message in the story you shared.
    Thanks for all you do to help us create a better life.

  14. Robin Taylor Reply December 25, 2009 at 3:12 pm

    Thank you Susan for the great story I am dedicated to making 2010 a much brighter way of living for myself and children, I want to invest now , thnx , I read all of your emails. Happy Holidays u deserve it.

  15. AJ Reply December 23, 2010 at 5:48 pm

    Merry Christmas Susan,

    Thanks for this inspiring story and for all you do for us.

    Visualizing the best for you in 2011, blessings to you and your loved ones this holiday season.

    Warmest regards,
    AJ

  16. Carey_PA Reply December 23, 2010 at 5:59 pm

    Great story Susan! Thanks for sharing.

    Merry Christmas to you and your family as well!

    Carey

  17. Yolanda W. Reply December 23, 2010 at 9:13 pm

    Thank you Susan for reminding us how fragile and important our decisions are but most importantly our attitude toward a new beginning even after poor ones were chosen…May our Lord Jesus continue to bless you…and to all a good night :D

  18. Cheryl Baxter Reply December 23, 2010 at 10:26 pm

    Thanks for the story Susan. The reminder to live well by giving it our best each and every day is a good one. No matter what we are doing…it’s going to serve us and others better.

    Merry Christmas to you and yours!

  19. Pat winkelmann Reply December 23, 2010 at 11:24 pm

    This is so true of all of us. We forget that this day is our gift so we need to do our best.

  20. Bill Reply December 24, 2010 at 2:10 pm

    Thanks for sharing Susan! And Merry Christmas to you and yours :-)

  21. David Reply December 25, 2010 at 7:46 am

    Thanks Susan. I’m going to forward that story to both of my kids.

  22. Eric Watkins Reply December 30, 2010 at 1:04 pm

    What a wonderful story !! Susan, I was
    attracted to you through a guy that was
    responding to Kenny Rushing Bulk REO program. The guy was saying Kenny’s program may be fine but, check out the Bulk REO program by Susan Lassiter-Lyons. It goes for around $197. I thought that was very, very interesting !! How could you charge so much less than the other programs out there? Then I followed the link the guy left in his response and that’s how I found you and your materials.
    I get the sense that you’re being honest by the way give your insight into the many
    articles, stories, and your own experiences you’ve gone through. The story above is a story about self-examination which I believe we all need. Susan, keep up your great work !!

  23. TL Reply January 11, 2011 at 3:38 pm

    Susan..Just catching up from my down time with the Family over Christmas and NewYears..I have not heard that story before, and have to say it choked me up greatly! Thank-you for posting this story. It brings many quotes and lessons to mind…but mostly it’s still is and always will be about the golden rule..”Do unto other’s…” and anything that is worth doing, is worth doing with excellence!
    ~ To a Prosperous New Year!~
    TL