A craftsman sculpts, organizes, presses, paints, designs, and sweeps.
A counselor sculpts her words and creates a carefully chosen comfortable environment when she speaks to her patients.
A secretary organizes schedules, documents and diligently responds to every email to create simplicity & clarity.
A barista grinds the beans, presses the espresso firmly so the crème is silky and smooth.
A leader empowers others with selfless acts, unmentioned birthday cards, and goes the extra mile so others feel valued and respected.
A craftsman’s work is his reputation. Commonly overlooked details may go unnoticed. But to a craftsman, cutting corners is corrupt, dishonest and deceitful.
A craftsman’s work is true and his labor is one of integrity.
He does things thoroughly with intention so they are delivered with confidence.
It’s not what they do in the spotlight that makes them great.
It’s what’s done behind the curtain, alone in the studio, or the weekends at the office.
When others are dreaming about greatness, they’re creating it.
No one is a craftsman by chance but only by conscious effort.
They are led by passion, governed by principle, and guided by ideals.
They live by intentional design not by normal default.
They do not wait for someday excellence as a goal to be reached, but they demand it today.
A craftsman produces more value than he consumes.
Complacency, mediocrity and laziness are his enemy.
While others are busy complaining, blaming, criticizing in the light, the craftsman toils in the dark.
The hands of a craftsman are diligent and whatever they do, they do it with all their might.
If a man is called to become a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.
…words by a remembered craftsman, Martin Luther King Jr. – JL
