The Brick Wall Challenge & the Jumpers

I recently spoke to a "bruder" (trying to act young.. sorry) cause he had some frustrations and disappointment about being in a youth organization as he always have felt there are obstacles ahead of him, especially that he feels there are those senior members who are "controlling" him and his members, and also... not respecting them as individuals. The complaints have always been as follows:

i) He should have respected us before asking us to call him or address him properly as RESPECT is earned and not given

ii) Who does he think he is? Very big meh?

iii) I dont like him, his style, his method

iv) He Yong Suey (cantonese for 'face problem')

v) Outside our activities, why do we still have to address him as XXXX? We should be just normal people what. I call by the name enough lah...!

Well, let me tell you all a story of JUMPERS and BRICK WALLS.

Inevitably, in any organization.. be it government, private sector, school, Leos or Lions Clubs, other NGOs, or even in our family.. there is always the BRICK WALL in front of us. Now, we need to understand one very simple point... Sometimes, these brick walls are there for a reason. Valid reasons would be... they are there to assert uniformity, discipline, support, encouragement and so on. There are many types of brick walls. Let's start with the good ones....

There are those brick walls that are there to support other structures.. To ensure that when the entire "building" is built, the brick wall is always there to support the base.. the roof, the sides everything!

There are also those brick walls that encourages growth and don't mind the growth is actually dependent on the brick wall... Without the brick wall, these "plants" would probably not see the light of day...Some brick walls don't even mind if the plants "overshadow" or "overtaken" its surface... cause to these brick walls.. as long as they see the light of day.. they get to live .. and be happy.. these brick walls would rather stay in the shadows...

And Of course... there are the brick walls that don't mind and allow you to creatively "use" them to be converted to something else? These brick walls would go to the extend of ensuring that ... as long as you are happy and successful, even the brick wall converts itself to something else.. it's fine to them...!

However... there are those brick walls... that are there, simply to ensure that nothing else lives. Some feel that these walls are useless and they are there and blocks growth! What about the old walls, dirty and ugly looking ones that are really a bad sight to just look at? Not only they are there to block growth, other "insects" and rubbish grow in them!

What about those walls that are built simply to ensure that no one gets out.. or gets in!? The Brick wall that is so long and strong... if you are within it's areas, you would feel "small", feel useless at times, and feel that... "What is a world without these walls? What would people on the other side be doing?"

 I BET SOMETIMES YOU WISH THIS WOULD HAPPEN!!!!

HOWEVER... some brick walls are not easily crushed or taken down! You organize a battalion of army and bulldozers to bring the wall down... and the only thing you managed to "hurt" is actually the surface.. and within the walls... there is a stronger layer! Then, you might just realize that... you are just being a dumb and silly person for trying the "break" the wall as all your efforts and energy are wasted! Not forgetting also, what would others think of you and how would they feel about you trying to bring down the wall? Have you ever thought... "bringing down the wall" would probably be a silly thing to do as .. 

At the end of the day, you didn't hurt the wall at all (simply its a brick wall for crying out loud!) and the person you hurt most is YOURSELF!!!! Aiyo.. pain mahhh... try to tembus ... your hand sakit only.. stupid!!!  

Drive a car and crash into the wall in hoping to bring down the wall??!!! HELLO!!! Got brains or not?!

You will bleed ... and do you think the brick wall will cry for you and come and help you recover? Oh please.. It's a BRICK WALL. If it has a face, a heart and a mouth, it'll probably laugh at you and talk to the wall next to him how dumb you are for trying to bring him down. Will the other "walls" help you? Oh puh-leaseee.. they are walls. Walls of the same bricks ..err stack together? haha!"

INSTEAD...

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED....

HOW can you get to the other side of the wall.. without having to crash a car directly into it.. punch it, bring it down.. or do anything stupid that will hurt yourself more than it will hurt the wall? have you ever thought... instead of going "against" the brick walls...   trying to break it down, why not... DON'T Break it down...?

Or.. have you ever thought of another pointer... 

Your growth; development are stopped... 

simply because of YOU 

and not really the brick wall? I mean.. SERIOUSLY....!

Why not you do something else and 

GO AROUND IT, maybe?

All these while .. have you ever thought that whatever you do, you keep thinking about the brick wall! You will blame everything on the brick wall...! You will complain about the brick wall... You will always use the existence of the brick wall being there and THATTTTT.. is the cause of your failure!

Have you ever thought of the fact that.. the brick wall WILL ALWAYS BE THERE whether you like it or not! The Brick Wall was there even BEFORE you were even born! you reckon you will be able to bring it down? Pleaseeee lah!

To live a happy life, why not change your perception of the BRICK WALL? Why don't you try to:

i) Move around it, climb over it, or Jump over it?

ii) If the Wall is really that long, why don't you re-think your methods of getting to the other side of the wall? Why don't you MAKE THAT U TURN, and go back to where you have started and try to look for another possible way out?

There is always a solution to every possible problem you face in life. The only thing that is stopping you here is not really the BRICK WALL. It is YOU... YOURSELF!!!!

If you continue thinking about the brick wall blocking you in every way possible, then.. you will FOREVER live within the areas of the wall! You will FOREVER be lost and you will FOREVER be filled with hatred, anger and everything around you would seem more negative than ever because simply YOU chose to see the Wall as a PROBLEM and not a CHALLENGE!

Take my advice. Don't avoid and ignore the wall. The most successful person in this world would be able to make that wall a benefit to his/her growth rather than to destroy it. Making your enemy your friend is never easy, but worth a shot. You will see it from a different point of view one day if you choose to see it differently. 

Good Luck Jumpers! :)

Regards

Lion Alan Thoo

District Chairperson for Leo Clubs

District 308B2 (Malaysia) 2009/2010