Whenever it is clear to you, the requirements of building what’s bigger than you, you will stop picking unnecessary fights with people and start building valuable relationships.
I don’t know how old you are when this piece gets to you but I deeply hope that you are young enough to take its lessons because it would be too late for some.
Building what is greater than you requires lots of resources.
The most important of this is people. They will come in different shades, they will practice different religions, they will come from different nationalities and ethnic groups. They will have different political leanings and many more. You would be as different as differences can be. As long as your values align, the differences do not count. But your bias may kick in.
I have engaged many people and in five minutes of speaking with them, they have shown dislike for some people not because those people offend them, but because those people do not look like them, believe in what they believe, dress the way they dress, speak the same language they speak, enjoy the same cuisine they relish and so on.
There’s no time hate is easily contracted like a virus like the internet and social media age. As long as someone has a large following, drives a nice car, posts a good apartment, people align with them and swallow their opinions unchecked and sometimes inherit their enemies.
If you want to do great things you must be intentional about building valuable relationships at a reasonable scale. You will have to put your judgement,and prejudice on a leash. This warning is only for those who want to build big things. You cannot be flimsy with your emotions to the point that you discard builders on your way to the top just by getting offended. I understand that values create unintended barricades. I know this.
However, have this in mind that you will meet people everyday who are builders, helpers, lifters, enablers of destinies, dream funders, partners etc. People you must give a chance, people you must forgive and give the benefit of doubt.
I am not discussing compromise but gracefulness, tolerance and openness. Do not wait till you need people before building your directory of influence, it would be too late. You would be stranded and the cost of initiating new relationships would be huge!
You didn’t catch that. I did not mean only the cost of accessing new doors which is obviously high when you are strange to the door. I mean trust will be so difficult to guarantee to the point that there would be a lot of collateral damages because of scarcity of trust. If you had built valuable relationships on time, you’d have trusted marshalls on the field in all the spheres you need them. If you don’t., you will make a lot of assumptions that would be costly. In real estate, construction, in politics, finance, business, career etc.
I hope this helps?
Have a blessed week and breakthrough from within.
©Abiola Iyiola, 2025
