Are You Building a Wall or a Bridge?
The conversation regarding the building of a certain wall (and who will pay for said wall) is certainly a hot topic in the news these days, but this article is about more building metaphorical walls (and bridges) rather than physical (or political) ones.
Rather than reading these words and thinking about national borders or politicians with tiny hands and big orange heads, think about the conversations you had yesterday. Think about how you responded to requests on the phone or in email from co-workers and clients and family members.
In every conversation you have, every decision you make, and every action you take, you have the choice to build a wall or build a bridge.
A Wall is literally a barrier to progress
- Walls are a device to prevent advancement (they stop forward movement)
- Walls are exclusive (you can’t come in here)
- Walls are restrictive (you can’t leave here)
- Walls are selfish (this is mine, you can’t have any)
- Walls are inflexible (they are intended to be rigid and unyielding, but crumble over time)
- Walls block exploration (you can’t see or interact with what’s on the other side)
Walls keep people apart.
A Bridge enables connections
- Bridges fill gaps (between people and places)
- Bridges create links (creating daisy chains of ideas and neighbors)
- Bridges provide a path (to bring people together)
- Bridges allow for exploration (and discovery)
- Bridges are flexible and adapt to change (ever see a bridge adjust to heavy winds?)
- Bridges solve problems (it’s a way to overcome challenges and barriers)
Bridges provide a place to meet in the middle.
While both options require the effort of “constructTION” — only one option is truly “construcTIVE”.
