The trials and triumphs of the chronically lazy (standard:Inspirational stories, 900 words)
Author: Godspenman	Added: Nov 01 2009	Views/Reads: 3847/1934	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
All through my formative years my father and other authority figures railed quite mercilessly against what they called being lazy. According to them, laziness was about as close to the unpardonable sin as a human could possibly get without being burned by

All through my formative years my father and other authority figures
railed quite mercilessly against what they called being lazy. According 
to them, laziness was about as close to the unpardonable sin as a human 
could possibly get without being burned by hell's blaze. The lesson for 
me was, "With all thy getting, get as far away from laziness as 
possible." 

These authority figures backed up their opinions about laziness with a
fervor of work bordering on the frenzy. Just suggest that perhaps they 
were leaning towards, just a little bit lazy, and boy, would they 
explode in a ferocity of work leaving everybody in their smoke. They 
will even work on their day off. 

Instead of relaxing and having fun, these lazy-challenged people spend
all their time and energy working zealously as though everything 
depended upon them getting something done on time. 

One of the great sayings of these lazy-challenged people is, "If the
Devil finds a man idle, he'll set him at work." This, as everybody 
knows is an old Scottish proverb. The meaning is quite simple. If you 
do not find something to fill your mind, the devil will fill it for 
you. 

Now here is the problem as I see it. All of these authority figures are
confusing the issue. "Lazy," and "idle," are not synonymous. Someone 
may have a very idle mind while his hands are busy doing something. 
Moreover, the lazy person may have a mind more active than other 
people, but with his hands folded on his lap. 

Being idle is one thing but being lazy is something altogether
different. 

There is another saying not quite as popular but goes something like
this, "If you want something done quickly and efficiently find a lazy 
man to do it." 

A man with an idle mind is someone who is not doing anything productive
but wasting a lot of time and energy doing it. And I can see why this 
could be a very tempting sphere of operation for the devil. If anybody 
sees an empty workshop with some fine machinery but nobody is working 
it, the temptation is to help yourself. Nothing is more unnerving than 
seeing something go to waste. An idle man, however, does not care about 
those things. 

A lazy man is rather different. He refuses to waste anything, especially
energy, particularly his own. To compare this lazy man with the 
lazy-challenged man is quite an eye-opener. 

The lazy-challenged person wastes more energy and accomplished less than
any other category of man. With such a fear of being labeled lazy, they 
will spin their wheels frantically and accomplish precious little to 
show for their effort. Activity, yes. Lots of it. So much so that their 
smoke gets in your eyes. 

On the other hand, the lazy person takes a different approach to the
matter at hand. Before cranking up into full work mode, he sits down to 
ponder the whole matter and plans his strategy. Thinking is his 
specialty. 

One thing a lazy man knows is this, some things if put off long enough
do not have to be done at all. This is a great savings of energy in the 
long run. Other people would frantically try to accomplish and finish 
everything that comes across their desk immediately. 

The curse of "immediately," is that very few things need to be done
immediately. Somehow, people have gotten the weird notion that if 
something needs to be done; it needs to be done immediately. But most 
things are like a fine wine. It takes a lot of aging before it is ready 
to drink. I like what a great actor once said, "We will sell no wine 
before its time." The lazy man's version is, "I will do no work before 
it's time." Then pray that it's time never comes. 

Some things done immediately only create more work. It is a discerning
man (lazy man) who knows what needs to be done and what does not have 
to be done at all. Those people who are greatly allergic to being 


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