The Story of the Three Masons

A man once who saw three masons chipping at granite rocks.

The first mason looked unhappy. When the man asked what he was doing, he said: “Hammering this stupid rock. I cant wait to go home.”

The second mason looked a bit more interested in his work and was hammering diligently. When asked the same question, he said: “I am making blocks to help build a wall.”

The third mason was hammering with great enthusiasm. Sometimes taking a step back to admire the piece of rock. Then continued to chip away imperfections until he was satisfied.

When asked what he was doing, he paused, looked at the sky as if visualizing something and proclaimed: “I am building a cathedral!”

This is one of my favorite stories because it captures what purpose means.

As leaders we do not say: “Lets chip rocks.”

We declare: “Let’s build monuments!”