I was sitting at my desk this morning thinking of all the ways that concrete correlates with life. It might seem like a nonsensical analogy, but once analyzed a little bit deeper one realizes that concrete can be a powerful metaphor for life in several ways, as it’s a material that represents strength, resilience, and the need for solid foundations.

Life is like concrete: It requires patience to set. Just as concrete needs time to cure and harden, life’s greatest achievements and growth require patience, effort, and time to fully take shape.

This is true of anything worthwhile that I have ever set out to achieve. Proper education and training in sales as a profession, for example, requires effort, patience and time for one’s skill set to develop and mature. The novice becomes ecstatic and overly optimistic with the prospect of his own capacity for big wins and future gains. When those big wins do not come, however, one can become disillusioned, disheartened, emotionally deflated and lose hope. Only with time and continued effort through the peaks and valleys of life and career can one begin to see beyond the temporary emotions associated with loss and gain.

Life is like concrete: It’s a mix of many elements. Concrete is made up of different materials (cement, sand, water, and aggregate). Similarly, life is a blend of experiences, relationships, opportunities, and challenges, all mixed together to form who we are.

Every sales professional I’ve encountered has shared their experiences—sometimes comical—of misfortune, disappointment, and frustration, as well as their wins, excitement, and gratification. All of these experiences combined make a seasoned sales professional who does not get overly animated by the prospect of a big sale, nor does he become overly grieved by the loss or decline of sales. He faces the events of the day knowing that he is there only to provide information and assist individuals or other entities in making the best decision they can make for themselves.

Life is like concrete: It must be torn down in order to rebuild. Sometimes, life requires a fresh start or change, much like concrete that needs to be demolished before a new structure can rise.

Sometimes we need to go back to the drawing board and remap our direction. We may not be satisfied with the results we’ve been getting, or we may see some undeniable flaws in our original design plans. Change or improvement may require us to “reengineer” or completely abandon old belief systems or attitudes. Old foundations on which we stood must be demolished and sometimes it is done willingly and knowingly, other times they’re destroyed as if by an act of God. Either way, the demolition of the old may be a necessary step in building newer, stronger and more sustainable foundations.

Planning to demolish an old foundation? Planning to erect a new one? Use Gold’s Concrete’s consulting services to get expert tips and advice that will add tremendous value to your time and research. Give us a call today at 303.451.6951 or email us at rico.goldsconcrete@outlook.com.