That's a big pile of wood you've got there

Today one of the vets that teaches my anatomy and physiology class was talking about the stress that a lot of students experience at this time of year and how it's important to address any problems you may be having. He used the analogy of chopping a huge amount of wood. You have this massive pile of wood you have to chop and the axe your using is dull, someone comes by and suggests that you sharpen your axe to make the job easier and you reply, "I don't have time for that! I'm too busy, I have this huge pile of wood to chop!"

It makes a lot of sense when someone presents it to you like that, but I know how hard it can be to stop and sharpen the axe, even when it seems like your stopping the forward momentum you feel you have. When all we do is forge ahead in a daunting task without regard for how we get there (as long as I just get there!) we'll usually find that we're going to have to go back anyway and clean up the mess we made on the way. As I try to progress with my kung fu, I will try to keep my axe sharp and move forward with purpose and efficiency, rather than blindly hacking my way.

Andrea Prince