通过让步状语从句强调即使条件极端不利，也要保持高标准的生存态度，激励人心。
An old carpenter was preparing to retire. He told his boss that he wanted to leave the construction industry to go home and enjoy life with his wife and children.
Reluctant to lose such a skilled worker, the boss asked if he could help build one last house as a farewell. The carpenter agreed, but everyone soon noticed that his heart was no longer in the work. He used inferior materials and produced rough workmanship. When the house was completed, the boss handed him the key to the front door.
"This is your house," the boss said. "It is a gift for you." The carpenter was stunned, left speechless and overwhelmed with shame. Had he known he was building his own home, would he have been so careless? Now, he was destined to live in a shoddily constructed building.
Aren't we all the same? We often carelessly "build" our lives. Instead of taking positive action, we passively cope. We refuse to strive for excellence in everything and fail to give our best effort at critical moments. By the time we realize our situation, we are already trapped in the "house" we have built ourselves.
Think of yourself as that carpenter, and consider your "house." Every day, as you hammer in a nail, add a board, or raise a wall, build wisely. Your life is your one-of-a-kind creation; it cannot be demolished and rebuilt. Even if you only have one day to live, live it with elegance and dignity. The plaque on the wall reads: "Life is created by yourself!"
一位老木匠准备退休。他向老板提出，希望离开建筑行业，回家与妻儿享受天伦之乐。
老板舍不得这位技艺精湛的工匠离开，便问他能否帮忙再建最后一座房子作为告别。老木匠答应了，但大家随后都察觉出，他的心已经不在工作上。他使用的是劣质材料，干出的也是粗疏活计。房子竣工那天，老板将大门的钥匙递给了他。
“这是你的房子，”老板说，“这是我送给你的礼物。”老木匠震惊得目瞪口呆，羞愧得无地自容。如果他早知道是在为自己建房子，怎么会如此敷衍？如今，他只能住在这幢粗制滥造的房子里了。
我们又何尝不是如此？我们常常漫不经心地“建造”自己的生活。我们不是积极行动，而是消极应付；凡事不肯精益求精，在关键时刻也不愿尽最大努力。等到我们惊觉自己的处境时，早已深陷在自己建造的“房子”里了。
把自己当作那位木匠吧，想想你的“房子”。每天你敲进去一颗钉子，加上去一块板材，或者竖起一面墙壁，请运用你的智慧好好建造。生活是你一生唯一的创造，无法抹平重建。即使只有一天可活，那一天也要活得优美、高贵。墙上的铭牌上写着：“生活是自己创造的！”