Building Solid Foundations
By Michael Angier
When it comes to erecting a building, few people would dispute the
importance of establishing a strong foundation. It's no different in
building a business, a family or a life.
In 2000, we watched many of the dot-coms become dot-GONES. One of the
reasons for this is that these companies were built without solid
foundations. It's not only brick and mortar companies that need firm
footings.
The emphasis today is on instant gratification. But if we want to build
something of value, something that will last, we must build a foundation
that will support our vision.
The quick fix, the quick buck and the quick solution will not endure.
The individual who shoots to the top of his or her field only to
self-destruct is often the victim of not having solidified the values and
the structure to support the stardom. It takes effort and it takes
conviction, but the rewards are worth it.
Keep Your Eyes on What You're Building
There was once a man passing by
a construction site. He stopped and asked one of the tradesmen what he was
doing. The worker replied gruffly, "I'm laying bricks, can't you see
that?" The man watched a while longer and then asked another worker
what he was doing. "I'm just earning a living," he replied. A
third time the man asked a worker and the response was much different,
"I'm building a cathedral."
No doubt the personal happiness and the quality of the work from the
last man was much better than from the first two.
And what about us? Are we just collecting a pay cheque, doing drudgery
work-laying bricks? Or are we building a cathedral?
By staying focused on what we're building and seeing the task at hand
as accomplishing that purpose, we'll gain greater satisfaction, our work
will be lighter, and we'll create more excellence.
Foundations Take Time
I recently watched a building being constructed.
(I must admit I was tempted to ask some of the workers what they were
doing.) For months, there seemed to be little progress. There was plenty
of dust, lots of activity, but very little evidence that anything was
really happening.
That's because they were building the foundation-the foundation to
support a grand structure. And that takes time.
The engineers, the architect and the owner certainly weren't standing
around saying, "Where's the building? Why can't I see more
progress?" They knew that a majority of the time to construct the
building would be spent in laying the groundwork.
Once the foundation is ready and cured, the rest of the construction
happens at impressive speed. Even mistakes made in the superstructure can
be corrected without too much difficulty. But faults in the foundation
CANNOT be easily repaired and will jeopardize the entire structure.
And why should what we build be any different? We need to put strong
foundations under our dreams, our businesses and our relationships. I
believe that this is where many people struggle. They're too focused on
the payoff and don't give enough attention to the hard work and careful
planning required in building the substructure. They want to start putting
up walls and bringing in the business too soon.
And in the end, most fail because there's not the right support.
Every business, every marriage, every cause will be tested. Just being
a "good guy" and "doing the right thing" will not
insulate you from the gales, the attacks and the infestations that will
most definitely occur.
But with a strong foundation, built with good materials, with
painstaking effort, your structure will be one that withstands all
assaults and fully supports your endeavours.
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