Keep Strong, Keep Cool

Think back to when you were 19 years old. What were you doing?

Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart was a military historian who at the age of 19 volunteered for the British Army to serve in the Western Front of World War I.

In his short frontline combat experience from 1915-1916, he suffered mulitple injuries. Early in his deployment he received a concussion related to a shell burst. Later he was subjected to a gas attack and hit multiple times in the Battle of the Somme. It was one of the deadliest battles in human history with over one million wounded or killed.  

Later in 1921-1922, BH suffered two mild heart attacks at the ages of 26 and 27.

It goes without saying the man had been exposed to great chaos early in his life.

Despite the chaos, he was a master of the basics. He mastered the art of calm. He mastered the ability to find mental stillness in so much turmoil. He mastered the ability to think then act.

“Keep strong, if possible. In any case, keep cool. Have unlimited patience. Never corner an opponent, and always assist him to save face. Put yourself in his shoes – so as to see things through his eyes. Avoid self-righteousness like the devil – nothing is so self-blinding.” – B.H. Liddell Hart

What are you doing to master the skill of keeping your cool?

Losing your cool is a weakness. I have seen first hand how silly an architect looks cussing out a superintendent on project site. I have seen first hand how ridiculous a developer looks verbally abusing a room of professional engineers and architects. I have seen first hand how sad it is to watch the contractor pick a fight with the designers over trivial issues.

Over 2,000 years before BH, another man was also talking about mastering the basic skill of patience. In Book Five of his Meditations, Marcus Aurelius wrote a reminder to himself, 

“treat human beings as they deserve, be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.”

Imagine how your world would change if you were more patient with others, but more strict with yourself?

Imagine how your performance would improve if you focused on being more in control of your emotions? 

Imagine how your relationships at work or at home would grow if you were able to see things from other people’s perspectives more often?

The Real Con is that it is “us versus them.” 

But actually in real estate and construction, it requires a team to be successful. 

The best teams are the most understanding. The best teams are the most patient. The best teams have the greatest perspective.

What are you doing to master the skill of patience?

What are you doing to widen your perspective?

What are you doing to improve your performance as a part of all the different teams you are on?

Most importantly, what are you doing to be an example of calm within the storm?

Life is tough, but we can all be tougher. 

The Real Con 009

Got questions?

Got a question related to your claim, scope of work, contractor’s proposal, or contractor? Great! Drop us a line.

Recent articles