使用 one and only 强调生命的独特性，并用否定结构强调其不可逆转性。
An old carpenter was preparing to retire. He told his boss that he wanted to leave the construction business to enjoy life with his wife and children. The boss, reluctant to see such a skilled worker go, asked if he could help build just one more house. The carpenter agreed. However, it was obvious to everyone that his heart was no longer in his work; he used inferior materials and did sloppy work. When the house was finished, the boss handed him the keys and said, "This is my gift to you; it is your house." The carpenter was stunned and filled with shame. If only he had realized he was building a house for himself, would he have acted so carelessly? Now, he is forced to live in a poorly constructed house.
We are much the same. We often "build" our lives carelessly, not through proactive pursuit, but through passive coping. We fail to strive for excellence and fail to give our best when it matters most. By the time we realize our situation, we are already trapped within the "house" we have built for ourselves. Imagine yourself as that carpenter. Think about your own house: every nail you drive, every board you lay, and every wall you raise should be crafted with wisdom. Your life is your one and only creation, and it cannot be wiped clean and rebuilt. Even if you have only one day to live, live it beautifully and with dignity, so that the plaque on your wall reads: "Life is a self-creation."
一位老木匠准备退休，他告诉老板，自己想离开建筑行业，回家与妻儿享受天伦之乐。老板舍不得这位优秀的员工，便问他能否再帮着建最后一座房子。老木匠答应了。然而，大家都看得出来，他的心已不在工作上，用的料子偷工减料，干活也变得敷衍了事。房子完工时，老板将大门的钥匙递给了他，并说：“这是送给你的礼物，属于你自己的房子。”老木匠惊愕不已，羞愧难当。如果他早知道是在为自己建房，又怎会如此敷衍？可现实却是，他必须住进这幢粗制滥造的房子里！
人生亦是如此。我们常常在漫不经心中“建造”着自己的生活——并非出于进取，而是随遇而安、消极应付，凡事都不愿精益求精，在关键时刻也无法竭尽全力。等到我们察觉自己的处境时，早已深陷于亲手打造的“房子”之中。不妨把自己想象成那位木匠，审视你的生活：每一天，你钉下的每一颗钉子、铺上的每一块木板、砌起的每一面墙，都请用智慧去精心雕琢。生命是你一生中唯一的创造，无法抹平重来。即便仅剩一天的生命，也要活得优雅而高贵，让生命之墙上的铭牌写着：“生活是自我创造的”。