Rise Above It!

While attending a major concert or stage performance, most of us take for granted the challenging and dangerous “behind the scenes” work performed by the stage “riggers.” These are the men and women who walk the four-inch rafter beams—often a hundred feet above a concrete floor—to hang sound-speakers and spotlights. For such work, understandably, they are well paid. However, unlike most of us, these technicians aren’t bothered by the sight of looking down one hundred feet. What they don’t like are jobs in buildings that have false ceilings—acoustical tiles slung just a few feet below the rafters. Only a short distance above the tiles, the workers are still high up in the air, and if they slip, their weight will smash right through the flimsy ceiling. From this vantage point, their minds seem to play tricks on them, lulling them into carelessness.

Never underestimate the power of temptation and the depth of its consequences—lulling you into carelessness. And never overestimate your ability to resist…