Pillars of Vision
PILLARS OF VISION
Who are those you consider pillars in your life? Identify them and treat them accordingly.
Written by Thomasina R. Legend
Photography by karolina nichitin
A few years ago I chanced upon a podcast that talked about pillars and identifying who your pillars were on your journey to building your life, career, business or empire. Obviously I have heard the talks and read the books on knowing the people you have around you and keeping good company because they are a reflection of you but I had never heard it narrated metaphorically using pillars and the example of building a house but it was very intriguing and I was drawn in.
A pillar is described as a tall vertical structure of stone, wood, or metal, used as a support for a building, or as an ornament or monument. Before a building is erected and that goes for buildings built on concrete pillars, the foundation must be laid by digging deep into the ground and positioning the pillars at the required points where they are then filled with concrete to hold them solidly in place. Then the beams follow to hold the piers/pillars further in place. So now those are the pillars that are going to be taking the weight of the entire building so it all has to be firmly in place. As the building starts getting laid and taking shape, there are other pillars that are used to support and hold them in place as the work is carried on. Well you get the picture.
Now these pillars that have been put deep into the ground are unshakeable. Come rain or shine, storms, whatever, they are firmly in place. The building can be burnt to the ground, destroyed by some of the worst natural disasters you can think of but those pillars are in place. See where I am driving at? We all need people in our lives that will be like these pillars. Unfortunately there are so many different types of pillars even in building and construction just like there are various types of people and characters that we come into contact in our life times. Become aware of the different types of pillars in your life and know what their roles are. It is so important and this is one of my favourite topics as I have listened to various motivational speakers and great leaders speak on this and it has been such an eye opener for me personally and I hope it helps someone too.
For this piece I am going to focus on four types of pillars (people) you will come across as you work on your vision and dreams.
Foundation Pillars (CONFIDANTES) – Your foundation pillars also referred to, as confidantes are those who are there with you from the moment you speak to them about your vision. Some have been with you even longer and they love you unconditionally. They are with you when you are in trouble, through the good and the extreme bad. They are completely honest all the time with you and are bold to tell you to your face the bare honest truth and you can share absolutely anything with them without the fear of condemnation or judgement. They will confront you when they see you derailing and tell you the truth even when it hurts to hear it. Confidantes are for you no matter what. When they come on board, they are solidly behind you and most times believe in your vision and ideas even more than you do. This is good because there will be days when you feel lost and your belief fails, they are the ones that inspire, motivate, give you that pep talk to get your butt back into gear and get moving. Trust me when I say that there are very few of these people and if you are blessed to have two or three of these people in your life, you will manifest your vision. Without the strongest confidants/foundation pillars, your vision will be more or less unattainable because you need them. Working on your vision is like being behind a wall that needs the help of someone else to assist you to climb over. Now your foundation pillars must be people on the other side of the wall who are always there and ready to assist you, help you or even mentor you. One of the greatest problems with those of us working our visions is that we are hanging around with people who are just like us, with no experience or formal knowledge or even training of the areas we are trying to excel in. we tend to hang with people who are not on the same level as us or way under us experience wise maybe because it makes us feel good but at the end of the day it will get you no where. We are busy wasting our time feeding people who cannot feed us mentally, emotionally and spiritually and when we are drained of the little food we have feeding them, we are left completely empty. We have to chase after those who can feed us with the knowledge and expertise needed to expand and move forward and in-turn ourselves be able to feed others with the knowledge and expertise we have been fed with now with experience in hand. Look around you and begin to identify your foundation pillars/confidants as soon as possible.
Elemental Pillars (CONSTITUENTS) – Elemental pillars are also known as your constituents. Now these people are a bit tricky to source out from the get go character wise so you must be very observant when you are dealing with people like these. Your elemental pillars/Constituents are basically there for what YOU ARE FOR because that is what they ARE FOR. Now these people will only stick with you and indeed labour with you if you both share a common interest. There will always come a point in your vision when you need to establish certain things and your constituents are happy to help because they are also probably in the process of doing the same at that particular time. But remember, they are not for you personally. They are for what you are doing at that core time on your journey. A lot of us tend to mistake these people for our foundation pillars and confidants but they are not because when they achieve what they want and it benefits them, they leave, or if they find someone else who can further their own personal agenda, they will walk away. Always remember this, there is absolutely nothing wrong with them leaving. It is OK. Just don’t get carried away and get all bitter and twisted about it. Doing that takes a lot of energy away from you physically and emotionally and you really don’t need that. I believe in wishing people well and moving on. No need to hold any grudges or malice. They were there for a reason and that reason was accomplished and it is time to move on whilst they move on and build their own dreams and vision. We allow ourselves to be caught up in so many unnecessary energy draining battles because people leave us or walk away. Don’t. Recognise your confidants and your constituents and know how to engage with them on different levels both personally and professionally so your peace and energy is not corrupted with negativity.
Associate Pillars (COMRADES) – Your associate pillars also known as your comrades are very similar to your constituents. Your comrades are against what you are against. They will always team up with you to fight a common or greater enemy and will only stay until the battle has been won or victory accomplished. “These people are like scaffoldings. They come into your life to fulfil a purpose, but when the purpose is completed, the scaffolding is removed. Don’t be upset when the scaffolding is removed because the building always remains”. T.D Jakes
Again remember these are not bad people. They are there to help you fight battles and challenges that they face as well and when you accomplish that goal, they move on. Like advised above, when they leave, do not go on a rampage and be all angry and upset. Let it go. You have accomplished what you needed to so take pleasure in that and be happy that you had someone or people around to help you do that.
Obstructive Pillars (ADVERSARIES) – These people are sometimes not easy to identify because they are embedded in your life as leeches and hide their true colours until they can’t take seeing you truly accomplishing your goals and getting closer to your vision. Sometimes it is somewhat easy to know who they are through their negative talk and energy but because they are so close to us, we refuse to see the writing on the wall and give them the benefit of the doubt, which tends to be detrimental in the long run. The quicker you become observant and figure these people out you need to walk away from these pillars because they have absolutely nothing to offer you and sometimes plot your downfall behind your back. Protecting your ideas and vision from the get go is very important and also protecting your space and energy is as much important.
So I have outlined four types of characters you will encounter as you build your vision. It is time to be very observant and vigilant because your vision depends on it. Stop the sentimentality attitude and become tough especially where your vision is concerned. You will be shocked to find out that those you thought were for you are really not for you or your vision and secretly wish and sometimes pray that you fail. Be very careful who you tell your dreams, ideas and visions to. Guard your ideas and visions diligently as there are those that will try to run with your ideas and try to accomplish it without you and there are those who will hear it, laugh and pretend to support you but secretly try at every turn to make sure that you do not succeed no matter how hard you work. If you can identify your foundation pillars, your true confidants who share your vision and support you in all you do and are really there for you then cherish them and be blessed that you have them. At this point in time in our lives, we need to be connected to people who are real, passionate, and will always be there for you when the chips are completely down and things are stacked against you. We need people who are going to be genuinely happy for us when we succeed and achieve a goal that moves us closer to the manifestation of our visions. Stop focusing on people who have left/abandoned you in anyway or at any point and start being thankful for their input no matter how minimal and focus on those who are still with you and for you. Appreciate the people who are for you and with you because great foundation pillars are hard to come by and if you are privileged to know and have one, then best believe that you are super blessed.
By Emma Witter & Will Bunce