Chop Wood Carry Water: How to Fall In Love With the Process of Becoming Great

John’s brother, Jordan, shared the same dream with his brother, but while John was unscathed after a severe car accident, Jordan was left unable to walk, talk, or feed himself. Jordan is a symbol for what lies outside one’s control. In the extended parable, Jordan’s dream is identical to John’s, but he loses the ability to pursue it. In light of this drastic change, it is established that becoming a samurai archer is no longer possible for Jordan.

Medcalf uses Jordan to demonstrate that ambitions should be realistic if success is the desired outcome. Jordan was physically incapable of pursuing his old dream and will now have to revise his dream and his desires for his future because of the accident. Through this, it is explained that at times, things happen to alter one’s course, and the definition of success alters with it.

At several points in the book, Akira asks John who he would be if his abilities and skills were taken away. Akira explains that John’s value lies in who he is as a person, not in what he does. This relates back to Jordan, whose abilities were taken in the car accident, and yet he remained a valued and loved member of the family despite certain skills being removed. Medcalf suggests through Jordan that value is inherent and survives catastrophic changes that alter one’s vision for their future.

The title of the book is Chop Wood Carry Water. Early in the extended parable, John arrives at the samurai camp and is told to chop wood every day and haul water to the village. Initially, this is a struggle for John, who cannot understand how this relates to his training. The motif of chopping wood and hauling water is meant to help explain the central theme of the book, which is that success comes from doing the hard, unglamorous work on a daily basis. John must first chop wood before he is strong enough to pull the bow string. He must first carry water before his muscles are tight enough to hold the bow long enough to aim accurately. Through this daily grind, John develops the body needed to succeed. At several points in the extended parable, Akira shows John how important the daily grind is to success. Talent is not enough, it takes hard work every day to drive success. Only by putting in the hard hours chopping wood and carrying water does one gain mastery of one’s craft.

It is fitting that John’s daily, arduous, and unrewarding tasks involve life’s necessities. One cannot live without water, and one cannot cook or stay warm without wood for fire. Through these specific tasks, Medcalf demonstrates the essential nature of the daily grind in the survival of one’s dream.

Bamboo is a symbol of endurance and commitment in Chop Wood Carry Water. In one parable, Akira explains that in order to grow bamboo from seed, the planted crop must be watered for several years before buds appear. Akira uses the symbol of bamboo to demonstrate to John the importance of watering the seeds of one’s craft on a daily basis in order to see growth over time.