Five Lessons I Learned From My Cuckoo Clock

As I sat in my kitchen the other day having a cup of coffee, my cuckoo clock announced the top of the hour with its familiar cuckoo clock sounds. As I heard its voice, I began to think about some things -- namely, things I had learned over the years from my cuckoo clock. In no particular order, they are:

Do the Little Tasks, So You Can Prevent Big Problems Down the Road

It's simple enough to do - but I still have to do it. Every day I have to reset the pinecone weights on my cuckoo clock. These pinecone weights keep the clocks functioning. If I neglect to reset the weights, the clock will quit working. Life is sort of like that too. Once you stop pulling your weight, your life will eventually quit working too. Also, my cuckoo clock attracts a lot of dust and needs to be dusted each week. If I forget to dust it, the dirt mixes with the oil and the whole thing seizes up. Keep your life dusted. Deal with the little tasks as they come up, so they don't turn into big problems down the road.

Be Nice and Use Your "Pleasant" Voice

Have you ever been shopping and heard someone who had a voice that set your teeth on edge. It could be a man's gruff voice as he barks at his wife and kids. It could be a woman's high-pitched voice, nagging at her husband and children. Everyone cringes at a voice like that. On the other hand, my cuckoo clock has a comforting voice that arrives at each new hour with grace and hope. Try to have a voice like that. If you do, others will want to be around you. And, although my cuckoo clock is antique and old -- it's been warmly invited into people's homes for many years as a welcome guest.

Be a Person of Quality -- It Does Matter

I was shopping a few weeks ago at Target and began looking at some of the kitchen clocks in their kitchen department. These were contemporary quartz designs that, to me, looked somewhat plain. As I looked closer, I could see that they weren't put together very well and there was wood glue oozing out from one of the seams. From a distance these clocks looked sort of pretty, but when you looked at them closely, you could see the poor craftsmanship. I adore my cuckoo clock because I can stand right in front of it. The design and carpentry are excellent. Each hand-carved piece was lovingly created to accent the others. The leaves and the deer carvings on the front are beautiful art. So, while most people today choose factory-produced items of low quality because they are inexpensive -- they still recognize something of quality when they see it. I believe that quality does matter and should be our personal goal for our lives. Let your quality be evident to everyone who meets you. Take care to be a man or woman of quality. Let people stand near so they can admire the quality that is you.

Be the Tortoise, Not the Hare -- Better Late Than Never

My cuckoo clock isn't a perfect timepiece. In fact, it's not perfect at all. I have to correct the time every day by moving the minute hand forward a couple of minutes. It almost always runs slow. Even though it's slow, it's still around. But, my cuckoo clock is antique. It has survived many newer quartz clocks I own. Why? Did they break and quit working? No, they still function well. The problem is that they had no character or style. Those things are often much more important than being purely functional. I'll take my "better late than never" cuckoo clock over any contemporary quartz clock any day. My cuckoo clock is always "fashionably late." It shows up to each hour a minute or two late, perhaps, but always in style. If you make it your goal to reach the finish line, you will find it was worth it not to give up on your dreams.

Be Yourself -- Don't be Afraid to be Unique

When new friends visit my home, they are sometimes puzzled when they hear the cuckoo clock sounds for the first time. Sometimes they laugh and tell me how "cute" it is. Yes, it is quite whimsical and different from their contemporary quartz kitchen clocks, I suppose. It is different and stands out from the norm. But, once we've been friends for a while, these same people will now look forward to coming to my home and hearing the familiar cuckoo clock sounds. Don't be concerned if you're unique and different. Most contemporary clocks will end up in a garage sale or donated to Goodwill within a few years. But, my cuckoo clock will still be hanging on my wall -- greeting new friends -- and dear to my heart because it's different and unique.