An elderly carpenter agreed to build one last house as a favor to his contractor before retiring. However, since he did not know it was for himself, he put little effort into construction and used poor materials. When finished, the contractor revealed the house was a gift for the carpenter. The carpenter realized if he had known, he would have built it better. Similarly, people build their lives each day through their choices and attitudes, but often do not put their best effort in, not realizing they must live with the "house" they have built.