You need partners to build with, not pals to play with.
It’s funny how ordinary events in life provide the most life-changing lessons. Like the other day, I was watching construction workers build a new building next to the hospital. What captured my attention was that every worker was doing something different. Some were painting, some were laying bricks, some were electrically wiring the property, and some were operating sophisticated machinery. Everybody was making a unique contribution to a common goal. They all were building.
I am not sure why I was so fascinated by what was happening. Construction sites were something I had seen many times before, but today it felt as if I was watching an orchestra. I was mesmerized by the synchronicity and fluidity of the workers’ movements. They measured, walked, hammered, and painted with intention and rhythm. Every worker was completing a different task, and their movements were creative, coordinated, and cumulative. They were building something TOGETHER!
Together. That’s a word we don’t use as much as we used to, and it is a word that we don’t see practiced much in our culture. It seems that everybody is so lured by the promise of quick profits and instant fame that few people really slow down enough to appreciate the power of “together.” It appears that most people are looking out for themselves, Number One.
What’s ironic is that Number Ones working with other Number Ones is what builds wealth, leaves legacies, and strengthens humanity. Yet, collaboration is becoming a lost art.
A lot has changed in our culture, but something that will never change is the power of working together - teamwork. Yes, teamwork.
Even if we all define success differently, the truth is, none of us can build anything significant alone. We need each other.
Greatness nor success happen in isolation; they happen best in "community".
Since we need other people to help us build our lives, we must choose our relationships carefully. We must DARE to choose friends who are different than we are, too. We must push beyond our social, cultural, and religious biases to meet people who have different perspectives, different beliefs, and a different way of navigating in the world to adequately resource ourselves. We must force ourselves out of our ruts of familiarity and our opinions of superiority to connect with people who have creative ways of approaching problems, analyzing issues, and devising solutions. We must cross self-imposed boundaries and nationalistic barriers to gain access and exposure to new ways of believing and behaving so we can SOAR!
It won’t be easy. Leaving our social comfort zones can be unsettling, especially since many of us have been taught to think negatively of each other. But when we stretch our minds and learn about others, we discover new opportunities; we ask better questions and explore more options. We challenge norms, confront old paradigms, and conquer stereotypes. We stop being caged by convention, limited by lies and trapped by traditions to realize and embrace our interdependence and interconnectedness. Most of all, we become better versions of ourselves. Now, that’s soaring!
Yes, hanging with people who make you laugh is valuable. When we consider the chaos and vitriol in the world, we all can stand a little more joy and happiness in our lives. But connecting with people who help you build is not only valuable, it’s vital.
Engaging with people who don’t look like you, think like you, live like you and love like you expands your mind in ways that promote creativity, spark innovation, and fosters understanding.
Intentionally embracing diversity helps you BUILD today and inspires you to build a better world tomorrow.
Since you have a purpose, a divine assignment or a higher calling, and need to build, what do you do? How do you identify who to connect with and collaborate with? How do you ensure that you are investing your time and energy in fruitful friendships? How do you build?
You objectively and lovingly conduct an inventory of your friends. You identify which friends have goals and are actively pursuing their dreams. You determine who is growing because people who are not growing can never add value to you. You discern which friends have demonstrated integrity because you can’t build effectively with people you can’t trust. You assess your strengths and weaknesses and make sure that you choose people who have abilities that complement, not compete, with yours.
Again, we all need friends, but more importantly, we need partners who can help us build. We need truth-tellers who can help us develop our character, strengthen our courage, and maximize our contributions to the world. We need partners who can help us build our families, our dreams, our companies, and our communities so we can leave a healthier, happier and more wholesome world for our grandchildren and our grandchildren’s children.
People of purpose, people like YOU and me, need “buildmates”, not playmates. We need people who care and want to contribute to the world. And we must be discerning because you can not make a “buildmate” out of a playmate anymore than you make an eagle out of a chicken. People are who they are, especially at their core.
When I look at friendships and my social circle, I want my network to resemble that construction site. I want to be surrounded by people who are excelling at their own dreams but are also committed to the common good. I want to be connected to people who are consistently working, elevating, and improving their lives and the lives of others. I want people in my life who want to SOAR in every aspect of their lives because their presence will make me better, bolder, and brighter. I want productive, purposeful buildmates, not playmates.
Your purpose or your divine assignment knows that you need people who can help you build because you are destined for greatness. You were created to make a difference. You were born to break barriers and defy outdated rules.
You are special, and a gift to the world. And, most of all, your success is inevitable.
Are you ready to build? I hope you are, because the best is yet to come.
Let’s Dare to Soar Higher!
About The Author...
SharRon Jamison is a highly sought-after inspirational speaker, entrepreneur, author, visionary and life strategist, who has been teaching principles of love, leadership and self empowerment for more than 25 years.
She is the founder of The Jamison Group - a leadership training and development company, specializing in personal transformation and relational healing, changing lives with her "Dare To Soar Higher" mantra & movement. She helps her clients set goals, develop a plan of action to achieve the tangible results they desire. She also provides strategies on how to develop emotional resilience, so that clients increase their personal and professional effectiveness. She is the award-winning author of 4 Solo Books and 3 Anthologies. She is working to release her 5th Solo Book - Deciding to Soar 2: Unwrapping Your Purpose.