I recall visiting a production facility located in a beautiful area on the outskirts of the city. With such a great spot in a small Industrial Park situated right off the Interstate and plenty of room to expand operations, I wondered why the site leader wanted to move to another location. My questions vanished when I sat in the guest office and my chair began to roll away from the desk toward the wall! The building’s foundation was cracked causing the entire building to slope sideways. Although the building looked great on the outside, reminders of the cracked foundation were plentiful on the inside.
As illustrated by the example above, the lack of a solid foundation can cause the structure above it to sink, rot, crack and be otherwise damaged over time by natural forces. A faulty foundation can limit the potential of structure set on top of it. The better the foundation, the more solid you can build on top of it. If you doubt this statement, compare the foundation requirements for a massive skyscraper vs. a 316 sq ft (29 sq m) tiny house! When a structure is built and assembled properly, it is said to have integrity and does not require much attention other than routine maintenance. It can weather almost any storm since it was built properly.
This concept of strong foundations can be applied to people. Personal integrity refers to how our life system is set up and whether it works effortlessly or with great struggle. Without enough personal integrity, we spend much of our time and energy propping ourselves up and trying to repair cracks in our foundation. What we choose as the cornerstones of our foundation is critical as so aptly described by legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden “Any structure must have a strong foundation. The cornerstones anchor the foundation. For some reason the cornerstones that I chose to begin with I never changed.” I’ve witnessed the erosion, cracking & destruction of people’s foundations that were not properly laid and anchored. Conversely, I know people with a big vision who are building a deep and solid foundation that can support their massive destiny. How high you plan to go will determine how deep & strong your foundation needs to be. You are only as strong as your foundation!
Interested in strengthening your personal foundation? Check out my 6-week Fortify Your Foundation virtual group coaching workshop.