5 Things You Can Learn From Building a Snowman
While there was still some sunlight left to illuminate the yard last night I spent over an hour with my three year old nephew Darius and his daddy building Frosty. Rolling the base was challenging, but you realize afterwards what a great workout it actually is.
Although the origin of the snowman is still widely debated by snow sculpture enthusiasts, supposedly the first anthropomorphic frozen fellow (or lady) dates back to medieval times. As we put the finishing touches together I had a compelling thought: the building of a snowman falls into a nifty metaphor for success in life.
Quality Snow Is Key
Like so many other things in life, the climate has to be conducive for making the man. Trying to make one out of powder is impossible. Why bother trying? Wait until the moment and temperature are right and then begin putting it all together.
Start With The Big Stuff First
I always hear it in my head: start with the big rocks first, then the gravel, pebbles, and pour the sand in last. A solid foundation will hold up the torso and head of the snowman. However we choose to go about making progress, whether it be personally, professionally, academically, or elsewhere we need to grasp this concept.
Don’t Settle For Mediocrity
I have seen so many snowmen in my 28 years on the planet. Some gigantic and larger than life, others a vain attempt to personify a winter storm. Put some effort into it. Building one should be fun. This can apply to any task: taking out the garbage, writing a report, repairing your car, or just about anything else. Do the best you can do and have fun doing it.
It’s In The Details
What’s a snowman without a nose, eyes, hat, scarf, pipe, and other accessories? Just a ball of snow. Paying attention to the finer details always shows that you care. Hey, it’s never about being perfect, but even if it takes a little longer showing that you care goes a long way.
Everything Eventually Ends
I know, kind of a morbid thought. Just like the life of a snowman is indefinite so is our time here. It’s so easy to take life for granted sometimes that we miss out on all of the really great things going on all around us right now. I really enjoyed going outside today even for just five minutes to take some pictures of Frosty because it was such a great time with Darius and Eric.
My Final Thoughts
I think it’s incredible that there are websites dedicated to the history of the snowman and that they have managed to be a winter pastime for many different cultures for over a century.
Maybe I’m taking the whole snowman metaphor to an extreme, but it’s cool when you actually spends some time to think about it.
What do you think?
By Dustin at
In Personal, Self-Help, Spirituality, View Comments