Creating Your Why - Bricklaying
Bricks are useful for working the Day or a Lifetime. How?
“Creating a Powerful Why” is an excerpt from my Online Course “Scholar Warrior Is the Way” which is a compilation of Thoughts, Techniques, Sources and More for Self-Improvement, Writing, Filmmaking and Creative Explorer Curiosity. FREE TRIAL!
Our Mindset = Our Lense
We see the world through our Mindset. The Mindset that we have every single minute, every single hour of every single day. This Mindset is critical.
Your Beliefs support and direct Your Mindset. Beliefs affect Your Decisions. Decisions compel Behavior. Behavior creates your Actions. Actions form Your Destiny.
Get the Picture?
One way to consider Your Mindset is the Story of the Three Bricklayers. Supposedly, this story came from Sir Christopher Wren. He was a designer of buildings. the Great Fire of London destroyed much of the medieval city of London in 1666. He virtually redesigned and rebuilt the whole city. His name is synonymous with London architecture. Wren designed over fifty new city churches, including the new St Paul’s Cathedral. In 1669, he was appointed surveyor of the royal works. This situation gave him control of all government building in the country. He was knighted in 1673.
Story of Three Bricklayers
We see things as we are; not as they are:
One day in 1671, Sir Wren saw three bricklayers on a scaffold, one crouched, one half-standing and one standing tall, working very hard and fast.
To the first bricklayer, Wren asked , “What are you doing?” The bricklayer replied, “I’m a bricklayer. I am cutting this stone to a certain size and shape.” He was just performing a Task.
The second bricklayer said: “I’m a builder. I’m building a wall. I’m working hard laying bricks to feed my family.” He was just making a Paycheck.
The third brick layer, the most productive of the three, was asked: “What are you doing?” replied with a gleam in his eye, “I’m a cathedral builder. I am helping Sir Christopher Wren build St. Paul’s Cathedral for The Almighty.” He was doing his small part of building a great cathedral.
What are Your Lessons from the Three Bricklayers?
Big Picture Thinking – Having the ability to envision your end result and how your work contributes to that end.
Attitude – A positive attitude and pride with flow shows up in your work and your motivation.
Connection to the Mission – Connecting to your mission, vision, values, and goals are happier, more engaged, and more productive Lives
CHALLENGE: Think of the Bricklayer story for the next week - or ideally longer. Ask Yourself: In this engagement, moment, work, relationship, whatever....am I just laying bricks? A wall? Or building a Cathedral/
Important Point: Think of the Bricklayer story often...and then see how often Your Mind (with its RAS system - more on this later - mystery! ) will now spot bricks, bricklayers, brickwork, etc.,
The Power of Purpose
Purpose is another word for Mission.
Th story of the three bricklayers is a metaphor on the Power of Purpose, where the “cathedral builder,” demonstrates a personal expression of purpose transforming both Attitude and Meaning to his work. It gives him Higher Meaning.
You might hear other words for Purpose: Mission. Calling.
For the first bricklayer, building the wall was a job. For the second bricklayer it was an occupation. For the third bricklayer, it was a calling.
A Calling, a Mission, a Purpose...
What truly is that?
The Universal need to matter, to influence the world, to make a different in our world. "Epic" is an overused word, now applied to hamburgers and other mundane things. In essence, though "Epic" means that one changes Oneself, One' Community and One's World. When you could be faced with the greatest of the world's tragedies ad losses, then A Calling creates a sense of living beyond one's immediate physical and mental needs and strive for One's Bigger Picture.
One's Purpose.
One's Mission.
One's Bigger Why.