Work Smart not Hard
Wisdom is Better Than Strength
A young lad helped a white-bearded old man down a cobblestone street. It was steep and lined with two story plaster homes on either side. Doorways to the homes stepped right out into the street. At the bottom of the lane they stopped in front of one of the doors. It was dirty, dusty and cobwebs covered the casing. The door hadn’t been opened in a long time.
“Open the door.” The old man held out a latchkey.
The boy scraped off hardened dust around the lock, inserted the key and pressed his fingers painfully against it. The lock was stuck fast. He brushed his hands against his clothing, took a tighter grip with both hands and began to turn again. The key started to bend. The Lock didn’t budge. He looked up at the old man.
Without warning the old man clouted the boy on the back of the head. “Foolish boy! Fetch me a rock.” The young boy glanced around the street, finding a larger loosened cobble. He brought it to the old man, who took it and rapped sharply several times against the lock.
“Now try,” he said.
Again the boy brushed his hands on his clothing, grasped the key with both hands and twisted. “Click!” the lock turned and the seal on the door cracked open.
“Master? Why does the lock now open so easily? I tried with all my might. I was afraid the key would break.”
The old man took a deep breath, “Though I’m old, I have something that magnifies me. Strength, energy and ambition may have departed, but something else gives me leverage and as an ancient philosopher once said, “˜give me a big enough lever and I can move the world.’”
“Remember, boy. Wisdom is better than strength.”
