Building Solid Foundations

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When it comes to erecting a building, few people would disputethe importance of establishing a strong foundation.
It's nodifferent in building a business, a family or a life.In 2000, we watched many o... When it comes to erecting a building, few people would disputethe importance of establishing a strong foundation.
It's nodifferent in building a business, a family or a life.In 2000, we watched many of the dot-coms become dot-GONES. Oneof the reasons for this is that these companies were builtwithout solid foundations.
It's not only brick and mortarcompanies that need firm footings.The emphasis today is on instant gratification. But if we wantto build something of value, something that will last, we mustbuild a foundation that will support our vision.
The quick fix, the quick buck and the quick solution will notendure. The individual who shoots to the top of his or her fieldonly to self-destruct is often the victim of not havingsolidified the values and the structure to support the stardom.It takes effort and it takes conviction, but the rewards areworth it.Keep Your Eyes on What You're BuildingThere was once a man passing by a construction site.
He stoppedand asked one of the tradesmen what he was doing. The workerreplied gruffly, "I'm laying bricks, can't you see that?" Theman watched a while longer and then asked another worker what hewas doing.
"I'm just earning a living," he replied. A third timethe man asked a worker and the response was much different, "I'mbuilding a cathedral." No doubt the personal happiness and the quality of the work fromthe last man was much better than from the first two.
And what about us? Are we just collecting a paycheck, doingdrudgery work--laying bricks? Or are we building a cathedral? By staying focused on what we're building and seeing the task athand as accomplishing that purpose, we'll gain greatersatisfaction, our work will be lighter, and we'll create moreexcellence. Foundations Take TimeI recently watched a building being constructed.
(I must admit Iwas tempted to ask some of the workers what they were doing.)For months, there seemed to be little progress. There was plentyof dust, lots of activity, but very little evidence thatanything was really happening.
That's because they were building the foundation--the foundationto support a grand structure. And that takes time.
The engineers, the architect and the owner certainly weren'tstanding around saying, "Where's the building? Why can't I seemore progress?" They knew that a majority of the time toconstruct the building would be spent in laying the groundwork.Once the foundation is ready and cured, the rest of theconstruction happens at impressive speed. Even mistakes made inthe superstructure can be corrected without too much difficulty.But faults in the foundation CANNOT be easily repaired and willjeopardize the entire structure.And why should what we build be any different? We need to putstrong foundations under our dreams, our businesses and ourrelationships.
I believe that this is where many peoplestruggle. They're too focused on the payoff and don't giveenough attention to the hard work and careful planning requiredin building the substructure.
They want to start putting upwalls 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.
Justbeing a "good guy" and "doing the right thing" will not insulateyou from the gales, the attacks and the infestations that willmost definitely occur. But with a strong foundation, built with good materials, withpainstaking effort, your structure will be one that withstandsall assaults and fully supports your endeavors.
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