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 3/15/2010 |
Am I a builder?
When you evaluate your life, sooner or later, you come to one question that must always be asked: "Am I a builder?"
Unless you're in the construction business or dabble in construction, you might be puzzled by the question at first look. A Builder? Aside from that star-crossed venture into laying my own bathroom tile, and an occasional foray into changing your own locks (which you should do, if you haven't), most of us don't do a lot of physical building.
But take a look at your life, and you soon come up with an understanding. Do you build up people, things, companies, organizations, families, results, recipes, attitudes, self-image or lives? Or do you tear them down?
That's the question -- and we all must confront it. Do you build up or do you tear down?
Perhaps you don't do either -- well, that's a decision unto itself, but rarely a good one. (In the words of the old Confucius joke, "He who sit in middle of road get hit by both sides.")
Let's look at it this way -- anybody can tear things down. Given a sledge hammer or a wrecking ball, dynamite or an automobile with bad brakes, it's easy to tear things down. Anyone who has attempted to remodel a home knows this -- because traditionally, a homeowner will undertake the demo work himself or herself -- but when it comes to building up the place, they're more likely to contract with a professional.
Anyone can tear down -- but building up requires skill, interest, practice, and care.
Where any dimwit can destroy a priceless work of art (graffiti anyone?), it took a master to create the artwork. Michelangelo may have created great statues, but anybody with a hammer can damage the thing.
That's how it is with life -- our own life and the lives of those around us. Anyone can criticize, but it takes a friend, a mentor, or a leader to build someone up and influence them in the right direction.
Any moron can drive a company into the ground (I bet you know a moron who has done so), but it takes a great leader to inspire the men and women of a company to greater heights and new destinations.
Any jackass can criticize -- but it takes someone with skill to bring a company, a person, a family, or a country to greater heights. It takes a leader to lead, inspire, and motivate, but any stupid manager can deride, demotivate, and damage.
Being a builder takes skill. As in construction, there are builders of all skill levels; some can only build an outhouse -- but if you need an outhouse, that's a pretty good contribution. And in the meantime, building that outhouse might help them gain more understanding and skill (I don't think we want them to build a two-story outhouse -- a Big John, if you will). Other builders will construct great bridges, buildings, works of art. Some will build structures that will endure for hundreds or thousands of years. Some will build incredible devices that revolutionize the world as we know it.
Other builders will concentrate on people -- they will coach, mentor, educate, befriend, and inspire people to rise to new heights.
How about the "trashers" -- the people who will tear down people, things, and their own self-esteem?
Well let's put it this way. You can look up on the Internet who designed many great buildings; but (except in the case of implosion companies like Controlled Demolition Inc.,) it's rare to find the name of someone who tore one down.
Are you a builder? Are you committed to the future of the human race? Do you believe in building people up? Do you believe in providing encouragement? Do you believe in creating great things? Do you look to the future with an eye of wonder? Do you pick out the best points of your friends, and encourage them to become better? Do you compliment others? Do you like other people? Do you build up yourself?
Do you encourage or discourage? Do you bring out the best in others, or the worst they have to offer?
"What's your sign?" Positive or Negative?
Are you a builder? If not, can you be one tomorrow? Can you be one today? If you are a builder, can you become better? Of course you can. You can be whatever and whoever you wish to become; it may take work, but that's one of the things that building's all about.
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