We sometimes talk about life’s brick walls, detours, road closures like they’re a bad thing.
Yes, running into a wall at a high rate of speed can be disastrous, but when used as a road block or to slow you down, they can very much be a good thing.
A friend and I swap stories all the time about how mental blocks and other various brick walls save us or better yet give us the competitive edge.
I received a call to present for a conference and normally I can complete these with no problem.
But this time I was completely stumped.
I kept the page up on my computer for days.
I’d go back to it and look at the form, reread the requirements and I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t fill it out. The words weren’t coming and as much as I tried to force something, nothing happened.
So I closed the page and left it alone. I knew there had to be a reason for the block.
After I quit trying to make something happen, I had an incredible experience that directly correlated to that conference and I knew what I could speak on.
That’s why the brick wall showed up. I needed to wait. I needed to learn something new because this new thing would be my speaking topic.
These brick walls have shown up throughout my life and each time I’m grateful. Well maybe not at first but afterwards—once I understand its purpose, I get it and I’m extremely thankful.
So before you go looking for dynamite to blow up the proverbial brick wall, ask if the wall has a greater purpose. You might discover that the wall is saving you from something (yep, had that happen too) or its biding time so you can connect with something/someone really good.
Not every wall needs to be scaled. Sometimes, at just the right moment, they fall on their own.
#ThisWomanKnows
Lisa N. Alexander is the author and founder of This Woman Knows and What Million-Dollar Brands Know. She is an award-winning filmmaker, director, producer, and writer and is the owner of PrettyWork Creative.
