How To Build Something

I’m no engineer, nor have I ever built a house, a car or even a table for that matter!

That being said, I do know how to build things… perhaps we all do in our own ways.

A relationship. A company. A schedule. A workout routine etc.

I’m passionate about building anything to the point where it grows by itself, totally organically and serves others in the long term. One then becomes a gardener, an overseer, a maintenance man, rather than a leader.

Then I can build something else, and something else… until some peculiar Empire of connections, meetings, creations, products and exchanges exist all in harmony.

Nice idea isn’t it! Don’t you think?

If it all sounds a bit vague or flaky, here’s a ‘relationship’ example to clarify things a little:

What does your relationship hope to ‘create’ or ‘manifest’? A service to the community? A strong base for the care and/or birth of a family? An effective sharing of resources in order to live healthier and happier? Perhaps all three even?

Understand what you are committing to! Commitment is just a word, after all. Without understanding one’s direction and/or purpose, your commitment is pretty much non-existent… or rather, it remains just a word and little else…

The same goes for a company, a project, a friendship, a holiday etc.

Asking the right questions, and giving 30 minutes of your time to look at it, is priceless! It really is!

So here’s a few bits of advice to help you build (anything!) effectively, without the headaches that usually come with it:

> Check in with your partners/colleagues/friends etc, and do it REGULARLY! Relationships are often the ‘make or break’ of anything being built. So give your time and energy to them… you’ll be quickly rewarded for your time, trust me!

> Ask yourself the question: Is my ‘construction’ serving other people apart from myself? If the answer is no, knock the house down and start something else.

Don’t waste your time on self-indulgences. Sooner or later, your building will yearn to be greater than you alone, so why waste your time pretending that your own life is so important…?

> Learn to pick your battles! You cannot serve everyone all at once, and your company/relationship (if you’re lucky) will provide 1 or 2 magical things for the world to benefit from.

That’s wonderful. That’s profound. And that’s realistic. Trying to do everything all at once (or doing other peoples’ jobs for them) will likely end in achieving nothing at all.

So know your place. Keep it simple. Keep it focused.

Build carefully. Maintain gently. Sustain organically. Let it go unknowingly.

That is the WAY. That is the TAO.

And that is how to build something!

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