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Standing the Test of 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

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius 

We’ve all heard the adage “Rome wasn’t built in a day” to illustrate patience and significant accomplishments taking time. We can learn a lot from the outstanding achievements made by Rome throughout history. From 312 B.C. to 226 A.D., aqueducts were created to deliver clean water for drinking, baths, fountains, and growing crops for millions of people. This innovation was ahead of its time because it required pipes, tunnels, bridges, and canals. The Aqua Virgo, built-in 19 B.C., still provides water to the famous Trevi Fountain in Rome. Then came the roads. When people say, “all roads lead to Rome,” it’s for a good reason. Over 50,000 miles of roads and bridges stem from the capital. 

 

The flow of clean water and the construction of roads were entirely intentional. They all fulfilled the goal of keeping communities connected to the central hub. As impressive as this accomplishment is, considering the period and technology, the biggest takeaway is the process used to create consistent action. Consider the magnitude of this project—people working year after year laying bricks, pipes, and pouring concrete to fulfill these objectives. 

What can we learn from this, and how does it apply to building bridges? When creating an impact and connection in our communities, the daily activities make the most significant difference. As author James Clear points out:

“Rome wasn’t built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour. The problem is that it can be straightforward to overestimate the importance of building your Roman empire and underestimate the importance of laying another brick. It’s just another brick. Why worry about it? Much better to think about the dream of Rome. Right? Rome is just the result; the bricks are the system.”

Declaration: I will focus on building one brick at a time.