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

“Commitment is an act, not a word.”- Jean-Paul Sartre

Becky Hammon made history on December 30, 2020, when she became the first female to act as a head coach for an N.B.A. team. As the assistant coach, she filled in for San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich after he was ejected from the game for arguing with a referee. For Hammon, it was a great moment in her coaching career, but for females worldwide, it was a significant moment. And for women athletes and coaches, it broke down another barrier between men and women in sports.

Hammon’s entire life shows a commitment to her love of basketball. In high school, her father told her that at only 5’6 tall, her chances of playing in high school were slim. As she’s said in several interviews, “I’ll never be able to compete athletically,” she remembers realizing, “so I have to learn how to beat people with my mind.” This led her to play for Colorado State, set records in 6 categories, and then to a 16-year career playing in the WNBA.

While recovering from a torn A.C.L., she reached out to Coach Popovich and asked if she could sit in during some of his practices to observe. Soon she was invited to coaching meetings to analyze film and discuss team strategy. In 2014, she retired from the WNBA and made history when the Spurs offered her a full-time assistant coaching position. Her dream is to become a head coach in the N.B.A.

By committing to follow her dreams despite the challenges, she is blazing a new trail for women in athletics. She is building a bridge of possibility for young girls who aspire to work in often male-dominated industries. Once this bridge is built, other people can use it to cross over to something that was once unimaginable.

Declaration: Today I will be committed to making something unimaginable happen.

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

If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins. – Benjamin Franklin 

Pursuing your calling can help you avoid living a life of regret. If you wait too long to follow your dreams, you may look back on your life with guilt about what could have been. Finding your calling can help you make the most of your talents and gifts. They may eventually wither away if you don’t use your abilities and skills. But if you put them to good use, you can use them to make a difference in the world.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide when you want to start pursuing your calling. However, finding your calling sooner rather than later is a few benefits. So, if you feel like you’re ready to start on the path to your calling, don’t wait any longer. Trust that God will guide you every step of the way and take the first step today.

If you feel like you’re ready to start on the path to your calling, don’t wait any longer. Trust that God will guide you every step of the way, and take the first step today.

There are a few things you can do to start discerning God’s will for your life: 

1. Pray and ask God to reveal His plan for you.
2. Seek wise counsel from people you trust.
3. Pay attention to the nudges you receive from the Holy Spirit.
4. Be open to new opportunities that come your way.
5. Step out in faith and trust that God will guide you.

No matter what your calling is, know that you have the power to make a difference in the world. Pursue your calling with passion and determination, and watch as God works through you to achieve His purposes.

Think about the brilliant words strung together throughout history. Dr. King’s, I have a dream speech can still bring millions of people together decades after it was written. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, still to this day, rings through history, and people understand it, and they hear it, and they can relate to it collectively relate to it.

You have the power to make a difference in the world. Pursue your calling with passion and determination, and watch as God works through you to achieve His purposes. No matter your calling, know that you can use it to bless others and further God’s kingdom. So don’t wait any longer.

Declaration: Today I will start pursuing my calling

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’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.” – Muhammad Ali 

A calling can start with a nudge. It often manifests from an ordinary encounter. The feelings can happen when hearing about something on the news, witnessing something that doesn’t sit well within us, or experiencing a personal thought or response requiring some investigation. It’s a nagging feeling that stirs, grows, and starts consuming the mind. Ignoring this nudge causes discontent and frustration. 

Once a thought takes root, it begs to be investigated. It may suddenly seem like the calling presents itself everywhere. American philosopher William James said, “The first stage in the process is the realization that ‘there is something wrong about us as we naturally stand.’ Without this realization, nothing happens.” This is where we may feel resistance. Being stretched can feel daunting and make us want to look away. 

This is why every hero’s journey includes an internal battle where the hero must decide whether to answer or refuse the call to help. Author and professor Joseph Campbell wrote The Hero with A Thousand Faces to show how cultures across history and geographies face their calling similarly. He points out that every person is presented with a challenge at some point in their lives. After the initial nudge comes a desire to refuse the call; this fear or want to let someone else take care of it comes from self-doubt or anxiety. 

The turning point is when conviction starts overriding the fear of participating. The nudge turns into a strong belief that can no longer be ignored. This conviction provides the confidence to move forward with action and direction.

Declaration: I will identify my calling and walk in my purpose

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

“The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.” – William Butler Yeats

There are many benefits to walking in your calling. It can help you focus your energies and efforts on something fundamental to you. Second, it can provide a sense of purpose and direction in your life. Third, it can help you make better choices about how to use your time and talents. Finally, it can deepen your relationship with God as you seek to follow His will for your life.

Don’t be discouraged if you’re unsure what your calling is. Pray for guidance and ask God to reveal His plan for your life. Trust that He will lead you to where you need to be. And don’t forget, your calling doesn’t have to be grand or glamorous to be significant. Sometimes the most important callings are the ones that don’t make headlines but make a real difference in people’s lives.

If you feel like you’re not doing enough related to building a bridge, it might be because you’re not following your calling. But it’s never too late to start tracking your calling. No matter where you are in life, you can always take steps to move closer to God’s plan for you. Trust that He will guide you along the way; don’t be afraid to step out in faith.

Your calling will require you to step out of your comfort zone. It might be something new and unfamiliar or something you’ve been doing for a while but never thought of as your “calling.” But whatever it is, know that God will give you the strength and wisdom you need to accomplish His plan. Trust in Him, and take the first step forward in faith. He will lead you every step.

This is something to keep in mind as you discern what your calling may be. It’s important to remember that God doesn’t call us to do things that are easy or comfortable. He calls us to do things that are hard and sometimes even scary. But He also promised to be with us always, and He will give us the strength and courage we need to face whatever challenges come our way.

Trust that God is with you if you’re feeling called to do something that seems impossible or out of your comfort zone. He will never leave or forsake you, and He will equip you for whatever He calls you to do.

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” – Psalm 23:4

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

“Decision is a risk rooted in the courage of being free.”- Paul Tillich

A bridge is rooted in where it started or came from and spans to a new destination. To give it purpose, we must move from where we started, meet new people along the way, have new experiences, and consequently cross the bridge to whom we can become. As we progress, we become not only a bridge for our better selves but a bridge for someone else. When we don’t allow bridges to be built or cross those bridges, we create false or unfounded narratives about where it leads and what is there. Scared of the unknown, we leave it alone and deny ourselves the opportunity of discovery.

Without bridges, we can’t get the necessary resources from one place to another. Individuals don’t get what they need. Children go without opportunities and get left behind. Communities and neighborhoods deteriorate without the necessities to thrive. As Harvard sociologist Robert J. Sampson stated, “Deprivations come bundled, packaged, and may reinforce each other over time.” Without the proper foundation or infrastructure, a bridge will not work and will become useless. Once built, it takes a concentrated effort to make sure the bridge is used, and that people are willing to cross it.

We often take pre-existing bridges for granted. We forget they are built with a purpose and with intention. They are meant to carry people, resources, and ideas in both directions. Moving back and forth keeps each side accessible and available to everyone. When a bridge doesn’t exist or is collapsed, those resources stop, and the conversation ends.

I will be the glue that binds the bridge.

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

“If you’re gonna make connections which are innovative, you have to not have the same bag of experience as everyone else does.” – Steve Jobs

While technology is advancing so fast, socially, we are regressing. Unlike the Romans, who used it to engineer connection points, we have used it to wall ourselves off. We hide behind our computers and open ourselves to misinformation through social media. We’ve got advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, and super-computers to alleviate us from face-to-face interactions. Technology can be a wonderful thing, but it must be accompanied by social advancement to counter-attack disconnection.

It’s crucial as we continue to innovate that we ask ourselves and others three questions:

1.     What actions are we taking to bridge into the future positively?
2.     Are we laying the bricks to connect to the tomorrow we want for our family and friends?
3.     What bridges are being broken, burnt, or disconnected?

Bridges are built for connectivity. We need them to get from one place to the other so the next generation can improve upon our history. This allows our children to achieve what they have been ordained to perform. Their legacy and the legacy of our children’s children are being determined by the bricks we choose to lay today. Every connection we create makes tomorrow a better place for those who will walk the bridge behind us.

Self Reflection Question: How am I making tomorrow better for myself and others?

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.

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.

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

Let’s build bridges, not walls. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Shortly after that I-75/I-85 connector bridge in Atlanta went out; I noticed an REI outdoor recreation company sign that said: “built on purpose.” I thought about this and how bridges are built with a purpose. It’s a double entendre that a bridge helps people and commerce travel from one side to the next and is deliberate in its intention. We must become intentional about building bridges and connecting as a society. We must traverse through the smoke and the fog and become intentional about crossing over to the other side. 

The Atlanta bridge took over forty days to get back up and running. The prognosticators said it would take six months to a year before it would be used. Collectively we focused on intention and shortening that span. We focused and invested time, money, and energy on that particular goal. The ribbon-cutting ceremony included the Secretary of Transportation, Mayor, Governor, and other politicians and dignitaries. Republicans, Democrats, and white, black, Hispanic, rich, and poor people stood in the crowd. We were all there to celebrate the accomplishment of rebuilding this bridge. It was a bridge our city and community needed, and we built this bridge in record time together.

This message encourages you to remember that building a bridge is a leadership imperative. We are in a season where we see others tearing people down and decimating them. The other side is a social responsibility to be a leader in building bridges. This starts with compromise, uplifting others, and finding the commonality on both sides of that connecting bridge.

Declaration: Today I will build bridges that take us to new places.

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

“Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.” – Mohsin Hamid 

Empathy and concern go hand-in-hand and trigger how a person responds to a situation. While the heart is essential, it’s a wired response that often activates based on the people closest to us. This can cause further division if we fail to see the other side’s perspective or situation.

Whereas empathy is passive, compassion is active. Compassion causes us to assess the situation and ask, “how can I help?” It’s answering the call to ease the struggle regardless of whether we are comfortable. Compassionate people are focused on solutions and how they can create a positive impact. They build collaboration, trust, and loyalty due to their generosity. 

When empathy and compassion work together, they build bridges of great strength. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, the devastation was unimaginable. Without being asked or paid, emergency personnel, health, and rescue workers from all over the country showed up to help a city of people who were suffering. 

With our country empathetic to the tragedy, many people showed compassion and found ways to help. From a 9-year-old’s lemonade stand to mothers collecting necessary supplies from their neighbors, people from every walk of life found ways to show kindness and understanding. It didn’t take substantial individual commitments, large amounts of money, or a particular type of education. Collectively all of these things combined created a massive impact.

That’s where we can all start. Whether it’s a simple act like raking leaves for an elderly neighbor or spending an hour mentoring someone less fortunate, we all can turn our empathy into action. It starts with how we think and responds to those we can help. This solid foundation allows us to build bridges with an intention that keeps us connected.

A bridge is built to connect two separate areas. It is made with symmetry because each side is equally important. It doesn’t tell people how to cross the bridge or what to do once they get to the other side. It simply provides the connection, so people have the option of getting to new destinations and resources.

Question: Where will your bridge lead?

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

“Invisible threads are the strongest ties.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Bridges are built of hardened steel and are strong. It’s not fanciful but significant. It shows grace and compassion, regardless of who crosses it. This is witnessed in the Good Samaritan parable, where a beaten man on the side of the road is ignored by a priest and a Levite but is helped by a Samaritan who dresses his wounds and cares for him. When considering why two religious people did not stop and help this man, civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. said:

In the parable of the Good Samaritan: “I imagine that the first question the priest and Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But by the very nature of his concern, the good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?

“Love thy neighbor as thyself” is a simple verse to understand but often ignored in the follow-thru. This allows us to love the neighbor who shares our status, immediate vicinity, or lifestyle — the mirror image of ourselves. Most people agree with it in this context, but the subconscious interferes with expanding “neighbor” outside those borders. Our communities’ divisions over religion, politics, economics, and race have created deep-seated stereotypes and prejudices. This prevents people from crossing the bridge and offering unconditional compassion to all humanity.

Instead, many stand on the sidelines. We see what we want to see within our communities and comfort zone’s boundaries. Blind to the difference we can make by being more aware and empathetic to others. We turn into bystanders and wait for someone else to come to the rescue and take action. Social psychologists, Latané and Darley believe this is due to our diffusion of responsibility and social influence:

The perceived diffusion of responsibility means that the more onlookers there are, the less personal responsibility individuals will feel to take action. Social influence means that individuals monitor the behavior of those around them to determine how to act.

If we move away from passivity and offer compassion, others will notice and do the same. It’s about realizing our commonality and how both sides of the bridge share a connection. The things that make everyone human like empathy, love of family, and aspirations for the future. Those values supersede the differences that keep people on opposing sides.

Declaration: Today I will do all I can to build connections that support others.