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It Takes Time

By Rodney Bullard
CEO The Same House PBC | Former Senior Executive at Chick-fil-A / Global CSR, ESG and Marketing Leader | Best-Selling Author | Former AUSA | Former Air Force JAG l Corporate and Non-profit Board Director

 

Never to forget where we came from and always praise the bridges that carried us over. ~ Fannie Lou Hamer.

 

Building bridges is intentional; they do not just appear or manifest themselves without work – hard work. Whether it is brokering between warring sides, brokering business, connecting opportunities, or helping someone in need. There is an intentionality about building bridges that requires commitment. Without commitment, the work is too hard, the effort too much, but this is what separates leaders. 

 

Just like they say that “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” neither are many things that stand the test of time. The separation and divisiveness in our communities did not develop overnight. Issues like inequality, racism and socioeconomic disparity have deep roots in the fabric of our history. It will take compounding actions to decrease the span between people on opposing sides. This is where the importance of consistency comes in. It will take more than words and declarations for change to take place. It will take decisive action over and over again to build those bridges.

It starts with our beliefs. Once they are formed, they run on autopilot – right or wrong. They are created based on our personal experiences, deductions, and what others tell us is true, which begins when we are children. These are stored in our subconscious minds as facts. With deep-rooted beliefs, we constantly look for proof to validate them. When adults or someone questions our thoughts, we’ve already collected a portfolio of “proof” that our beliefs are correct.

Sometimes things must be broken to be fixed. Our nation did not find liberty until we found rebellion; there was no union until the civil war; no integration until after segregation; and insufficient awareness of the need for racial equity in today’s society until after outrage and protest. As philosopher Francis Bacon famously said, “Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes; adversity not without many comforts and hopes.” It takes time and patience to move from broken to fixed and often starts with the dream of connection.

 

Our bridges take us to new places crossing over danger, fear, and emptiness. They help us get beyond our ditches, communal division, and self-righteous blindness. In a world with so many tools designed to connect us and span communication, it is ironic that we possibly need bridges more than ever. Without listening to each other, we are unaware of our beliefs’ inconsistencies and how we respond to others. 

Declaration: Today I will do my part to be the connection that makes a difference.