The Black Carpenter's Guide

CHAPTER 1 THE RIGHT MIND SET A Can Do Attitude The first thing I recommend you do as a carpenter is dropping the word can’t from your vocabulary. We as carpenters and tradesmen get paid for what we can do, not what we can’t do. I remember working as an apprentice while working under the guidance of journeyman carpenters I would be asked to complete a challenging task and I would view or state that’s inconceivable to complete this assignment. Then not a few minutes later a journeyman carpenter would complete that same task that I supposed was impossible. This would always challenge my philosophy and pride because I assert always being an extremely competitive person by nature. My thinking has always been If I can see someone do something, it is conceivable for me to do the same thing. Even today it amazes me what men can accomplish in the construction field when their mind has been set. I will let you in on a secret. There is nothing that is impossible. In time with the right experimentation, training and right minds anything can be accomplished. The 25th Nubian black dynasty of Egypt were black men who help build an expanded the great pyramids, these builders were our ancestors and looked just like us. With the right mind set anything is possible. This is the mindset you must develop and continue to nurture during your construction career. Leaders in this industry are problem solvers. They tackle the difficult projects that others shy away from. This will open the door to opportunities and personal growth. By reading this book you have shown that you are seeking greatness in yourself and your abilities. I congratulate you on this lifelong endeavor. All great men hold one thing in common the right mind set. They believed in themselves and what they were trying to accomplish and would not let anything stop them from reaching greatness and their full potential. So remember while going about your daily work as a carpenter you can achieve anything you set your mind too. Proceed to accomplishing your work with self-determination and careful consideration. Walk the site with high energy and confidence. We represent the men and women of color in the building trades. We take pride in ourselves and our abilities and get to experience the joy of working with our hands. Our ancestors were involved in building this country’s infrastructure, roads, bridges, waterworks and the White House. We are responsible for building America’s future. self-reassurance and determination Self- motivation and encouragement must come from within to weather the storms of this trade. I like so many others at construction jobs use to look for reassurance and acknowledgement from my employer. This, I learned opens the door for frustration and disappointment. I would become a workaholic in the attempt to gain praise and self-worth from my employers. Sometimes, this would work in the short term but was not lasting. I would bring this frustration home from work to my wife in the form of anger, bitterness, rage and sadness, sometimes to the point of tears. I don’t remember when a change in this thinking was brought about or what changed this behavior but I one day realized that it was up to me to encourage myself and give myself praises for work well done. This was a game changer. When I began doing this I was no longer always angry and seeking approval from my employers and others. I still get joy from hearing others tell me what a great job I have done, but this is not necessary. I make it a point daily to remind myself that I am a valuable employee giving my best at what I do. There have been many days that I was feeling unappreciated and wanted to quit during these times this is the only thing that kept me going. The faith in myself and abilities as a journeyman carpenter. I evaluate my work performance on a daily basis. I want to always be at the top of my game and leave in my wake that I am a professional and productive worker. If you continue to work like this daily soon the world can’t help acknowledging this fact. This is my sincere belief. You cannot hide greatness and exceptional ability. Continue to give your all, plan your work, and learn something new every day, this is a full proof plan to greatness in your abilities as a carpenter Giving 110% daily. Giving your all and then some is not easy to do. I recall watching a movie called Gattaca when two brothers were competing to swim out to a Bowie out in the bay at night. One of the brothers was thought to be perfect and was genetically superior to his brother and supposedly had everything going in his favor. In spite of all this the other brother won the swimming competition. When ask later how he was able to accomplish this he stated I had saved nothing for the swim back to the shore. This is an example of giving your all for a goal. This brother gave 110% to winning the competition. That’s what it takes to stand out from the crowd and this is often what separates the men from the boys and the women from the girls. I’m sorry to say, but many people today hold no idea of what a hard day’s work is. Thanks to the construction trade I fell privilege to experience first-hand what this means. There have been days when I felt completely worn out, tired and hungry with no seemingly end in sight two that days end. This is when I found new strength in myself and abilities as a man, and carpenter that I had no idea existed. Having worked many long hours and weeks, working a regular eight-hour shift almost seems trivial. Sometimes a job will test your physical strength, other times it will test your problem-solving abilities and then at other times test your will power, you must be able to call on anyone of these abilities and sometimes all at once to thrive in this industry. Giving your all will cause you to grow in your abilities as a carpenter. Some days you will love your work, then others days you might hate your work but just like in life you must learn to accept the good with the bad. I even have grown to respect the bad days because they make the good ones seem so much sweeter. Whatever task or job is assigned to you give it your best effort and all that you can. From sweeping and area to framing a house they all have importance and value in the greater scheme of the project. If I have to sweep an area I make sure you can eat off the floor when I’m done. I want others to eye that area and say he is one hell of a sweeper. Do you get the idea? If I’m building forms for concrete, I want them to say dam; them are some good looking strongly built forms that are not going to move when we pour concrete. If I’m framing a house, I want them to say that is a class-A framing job. Remember all work is important and is a reflection of you and our trade as a hole. You should always strive to add value to any company you work for. This is the new era we are living in. The man or woman who continues to add exceptional value as an employee will always have plenty of work Whatever you put in your work and profession you will get back. Work with this always in mind. Never do a halfway job when you have the ability and time to complete a job the right way. Always give your best effort in any task and you will be rewarded not only from others but have the priceless sense of doing a job right, this is the key to advancing your abilities and your career. high energy Construction is a high energy occupation. You must hustle to get things done. As a carpenter you must also be able to maintain this level of energy from eight to sometimes 14-hour days. Just go visit any construction site and sit and watch for a short period and it will confirm that statement of high energy. If you are like me, you will want to know what is all the rushing to get things done. When I was new to the trade I did not get all this at once. The reason is most contractors are under very tight schedules to complete a project.