Within each degree that I have received thus far I have learned of new ‘tools’ to teach me how to be a better man. Some were used to teach me how to shape myself and my time spent, others are used to teach me how act and work amongst those around me. All of these tools combined shape men. While the tools themselves are taught in plain text, I do want to leave some mystery as to what they are to encourage others to seek Masonry, and learn about these tools through their own experiences.
Not only do these working tools help shape you as a man, but help shape your journey through Masonry in general. They teach you how to open your mind, but be mindful of yourself through out the day. They teach you to think before you speak, engage your mind more when you are thinking critically about something or someone. They teach you how to be reserved when faced with tribulations that would otherwise frustrate others. Lastly, they teach you that all good things eventually come to an end, and that we need to respect our time we have.
What I ask of Masons, how do you use these tools daily throughout your life? Do you sometimes forget they exist? Does talking to another Brother bring them back to the forefront of your mind? Masonically speaking, how often do you work with other Brothers and tie conversations back to our working tools?
I was working with a Brother on his EA proficiency and we had a conversation at length about things. There were parts that were tripping him up, and he was frustrated, rightfully so, as a Entered Apprentice you have to start learning how to crawl before you can walk all over again. I told him, “Take a break, it’s fine.” This wasn’t to discourage him, but like many of us, frustration leads to anger, and anger leads to not getting a job one correctly, or leaning towards finding shortcuts. The conversation continued, and I looked at him, “You’re not using your working tools correctly, this is why this one is the first one, and in my opinion the most important.” His face went expressionless for a moment. I could see I hit that ‘spot’ in his brain, he was thinking, using his tools. “Brother, I don’t know how you did it, but you’ve managed to wrap all this up in a Masonic lesson!” We both laughed.
All of this isn’t to say ‘look at me, I did Masonic things’ it’s to remind each of us, that we are given tools, and when used correctly they allow us to build a path that will take us where we want to go. I’d encourage you to take a moment, each week, and read your working tools, and think about how you will use them throughout your week. See what a difference it makes in your life.