SOMEONE HAS TO DRAW THE PLANS   

In our fluid liquid on demand society fortresses seem out of place. However, the institutions that built this fluid liquid society were fortresses of commerce, government and education. The internet started by the military to communicate. Educational institutions provided intellectual environments as a bedrock for the necessary trial and error to create all of our modern conveniences. Layers upon layers of successes and failures performed in safe environments so intellectuals could venture out and then return to the safety of the fortress. These fort builders created plans first then decided on materials and then built. No microwave meals. No pop in the microwave push a button and 15 seconds a meal. Preparation, planning and perseverance are the ingredients for a great fort. Have you taken the time to plan out the type of fort you want to build or are you hoping that the tent that you are currently shivering in will be strong enough to build a life on. Maybe you should think about sitting down to build a legacy by becoming the architect of the life you want instead of the life you have.

Are you ready to prepare, plan and persevere?

If your home is not a fort where you, your wife and your kids can venture out into the world exploring and conquering things all while knowing that they can return to the fort for protection, training, and provisions; then you are gypsy tent makers declaring permanence but constantly on the move.

If you don’t know how to build then find a master builder and apprentice for a time until you can build on your own.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

ANATOMY OF THE FORT – SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE                                                                                                                   A traditional fort has four sides. On the four corners a tower was usually built to house guards or sentinels. A sentinel‘s job was to watch the horizon for danger. If the sentinel saw a stranger or a dangerous situation then the sentinel sounded an alarm to warn the inhabitants of the fort and call the people outside the fort to come back inside the protection of the fort.  All sides had to be watched. In our families the four sides of our forts are:  

1. Financial/Occupational
2. Emotional/Spiritual
3. Intellectual
4. Historical/Traditional

Kids love to build forts. Tree forts or sheet forts in their rooms. It does not matter if it is inside or outside kids love to build enclosures where they can feel safe and secure. This innate desire comes from the need to build something that stands the test of time. Divorce and absentee fathers eliminate forts because they destroy foundations for kids to naturally gravitate to building forts. Some of you are reading this are thinking, No my divorce worked out great. WRONG!  Divorce is the worst thing that can happen for a child.  Some times it is inevitable realistically the ripping and tearing of a critical foundational structure of family destroys kids desire to build forts, family and futures. I think a study should be done if kids from divorced families build forts. I bet they don’t because they don’t know how. This lack of desire might come from the thought that it will get torn down anyway so why build. Challenge to you. Build a fort in your life. Fort is defined as a permanent army post. A fortress is a strengthened fort where troops can go out and come in for safety provisions and refreshment. If enemies attacked a fort the building withstood arrows, flames and intruders. Huge gates locked the right people in and kept the wrong people out. Usually a benevolent ruler or commander decided who came in and who was ready to go out. Think about your fort. Is it fortified?

High above the football field an interesting contrast existed during the game. Tom Brady’s “girlfriend” Gisele sat beautifully supporting her boyfriend. On the other side, Peyton Manning sat watching his brother. What struck me about this contrast was more than the obvious differences of desire and beauty.  Juxtapose the superficial ideal of cultural “hotness” against a representative of years of family dedication to professional athletics.  Brady was quoted this week as saying “ultimately none of this stuff means anything. I am still looking for ultimate meaning.”  Manning watched over his brother like a cheering torch bearer lighting the path of legacy. He represents years of physical discipline encouragement and brotherly mentoring. Gisele sat representative of the worst of humanity: superficiality, celebrity and shallowness. Peyton sat representative of his family legacy. He watched over the entrance of greatness cheering his brother on to victory. Can Brady’s cheering section even understand the level of commitment, teamwork and grit required of a professional football player? I doubt it. Brady lost Sunday night and although he has achieved greatness on the field, you have to wonder if he will be able to sit at the entrance of greatness ushering in his legacy. Hopefully beauty is more than skin deep.

 10 WEEKLY GOALS

1. FOCUS ON SOMEONE ELSE’S NEEDS.

2. CARVE OUT TIME TO SPEND WITH SOMEONE (30 MIN).

3. SAY THANK YOU TO SOMEONE WHO HAS NOT HEARD IT.

4. CLEAR SOMETHING OUT OF MY LIFE THAT TAKES UP SPACE

5. IDENTIFY SOMETHING I HAVE DONE THAT WORKED

6. IDENTIFY SOMETHING I HAVE DONE THAT DID NOT WORK

7. REPEAT THE THING THAT WORKED

8. INCREASE MY POSTIVE WORDS AND DESCREASE MY NEGATIVE WORDS

9. CREATE EXPONENTIAL RESULTS BY SEEING BIG

10. DON’T TAKE MYSELF TOO SERIOUSLY