The Greatest Riddle Ever Told

I can't even remember where I heard this riddle, perhaps it was passed down to me as a child from a wise elder, or maybe I saw it late one night when floating through the television sphere. Regardless as to where it came from, it stands as one of the Greatest Riddles Ever Told:

Jim @ foresthiker.com

Two identical twin lumberjacks are assigned two identical plots of land. Both brothers (Lumberjack Jake & Lumberjack Jeffrey) never tire, never need food or water, and both are assigned to the standard eight hour shift on their identical plots of land.

Lumberjack Jake spends his entire 8-hours doing nothing but swinging his axe, and by the end of the day manages to cut down an even 100 trees.

Lumberjack Jeffrey on the other hand, spends his time by chopping trees for 50 minutes, followed by a 10 minute break, for the entirety of his 8-hour shift (8 breaks in total). By the end of Lumberjack Jefferey's shift, he manages to cut down 115 trees. (15 more then his identical brother).

So the riddle is; What Was Lumberjack Jeffery's Secret? How did he cut down so many more trees?


The Answer? 

Like any great riddle, the answer is simple; Lumberjack Jeffrey spent his ten minutes of every hour sharpening his axe.

And like any simple answer, its context can be applied to much further concepts. Lumberjack Jeffrey outperformed his brother by literally staying sharp. He used a great skill known as "working smart" instead of "working hard." We should all take a cue from Lumberjack Jeffrey and spend some time sharpening our axe. Take some time to step back and prepare for the next step, and most importantly, take some time to stay sharp.

To Tell A Story

 Story telling is an important aspect of human life. From the beginning we were told fairy-tales as we fell asleep, watched Disney movies in corralled control, and listened intently around the campfire as images of hooked hands and floating meat cleavers were told above the flames. 


As we grew up the stories still stuck around. Gossip written on the bathroom walls, teenage angst spelled out through rhythms and lyrics, and a developing understanding of the world that comes with time and only the slightest bit of maturity.



As we grow up further, stories still shape the way we learn. Amusing anecdotes told in class,  intriguing dialogue in movies and media, and daily conversations with the world around you. The importance of stories does not derive from its delivery however, it all stems from the message received.


Stories can make you laugh, cry, or yell obscenities. That's what stories are for though, to make you feel something. Forget the plot, characters, cast, lighting, narrative, perspective, medium, credit, actors, and writers; forget it all. A story can only pass mustard if it makes you feel something, anything at all.

Stories are our way of subtly expressing universal feelings. Feelings of camaraderie, of cheerfulness, and zest for life. Feelings of anguish, despair, and loneliness. Stories have no limits to what they can tell, or no parameters to how they can be understood. Stories withstand the test of time and evolve as we evolve, and more times then not, the endings change.

So the next time your out telling your drinking buddies about your encounter with an angel, or standing in front of a faceless crowd selling your image, or chatting about your day with that special someone; think about what your doing, think of what your message is, and most importantly think about the story you are trying to tell.

 

-Brad

Declaration of Independence

"We hold these truths self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the      Pursuit of Happiness."

You know these words, everyone who has grown up in America knows these words, but when is the last time you prodded past the pronunciation, the memorization, and towards the actual meaning of this iconic message?

 My interest lately has fallen upon the third intrinsic right of mankind, and the second paragraph the Declaration promises. The Pursuit of Happiness. 

 What was our founding fathers trying to give to us? For them it may have meant a pursuit of happiness under no restrictions from an oppressive kingdom, or perhaps an unmeasurable standard to instill belief towards, or hopefully they meant much more.

When the Declaration of Independence was signed and sent to the king, it stated no new ideas, no new tones of life, and no new rhetoric unfamiliar to man. It may have been a symbol of the first times these ideas have been so articulately addressed into writing, but life, liberty, and especially the pursuit of happiness had been engraved into the genetics of every sleeping man and women across our newly formed nation.

Where's Waldo?

I would dare say that our founding fathers were not inventing new concepts, but trying to encourage those to understand a freedom that does not come free at all. A freedom that comes at the price of discovery, learning, and of course, failures. These rights are a part of us just as much as our thoughts, emotions, and understandings of the world are. The founding fathers did not give us these rights, but instead guaranteed and challenged us to use them.

So the question is, where are you on the pursuit of what makes you happy? 

-BDL