From Tracie: Tearing Down & Building Up

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Tearing Down & Building Up

There is a building by my house that has been an Indian restaurant, a Mexican restaurant, a nightclub with booming music at 2am, a place for community garage sales, and an empty space. It isn't a bad building, not really, but it wasn't anything special either. No one could make it work.

A new sign and paint job weren't enough to bring in people.

This week they started demolishing the building.

Building Demolition

Something new will be built in its place. Maybe a McDonald's or a Dollar Store. Maybe something else entirely. No one seems to know for sure. But there is one thing everyone can agree on - the building had to go.

Sometimes you have to tear something down completely to start over.

It is true for buildings, it is true for dreams and plans, and it is true for life.

As I listen to the noise of destruction and feel the rumble of heavy equipment and falling debris, I can't help but think of all the dreams and plans I have built in my life that, no matter how much I wanted them to work, were not meant to be. So often I have allowed them to sit, empty buildings memorializing a failure, instead of demolishing them and starting anew.

This year I want to dream new things and make new plans, and I want to give them their own space. A fresh start. No more trying to grow something new in a space that is old, tired, and doomed to failure.

Sometimes you have to tear down in order to build up.

Have you ever needed to demolish something in your life in order to start fresh?

16 comments:

  1. This is so true. Sometimes things really do need a fresh start in order to become their best. Wonderful post.

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  2. Tracie, this is SO TRUE. And yes! I hope you DO dream big and make big plans and give them their OWN SPACE! Yes! sometimes we have to tear it all down first to create the space for this.

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  3. Yes. It sure does. And not matter how disappointing it is to rip apart what we imagined, we have to remember that there are so many more dreams to be had. Great analogy

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  4. LOVE this analogy Tracie. So beautifully said, and absolutely true!! Here's to tearing down those useless buildings and starting a new!!!!

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  5. That is absolutely true, although I never thought of it that way. Sometimes something has to go to make room for the right thing. :)

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  6. This really spoke to me today. I think you hit the nail on the head! There have been a few times in my life where once I gave myself permission to make a clean break, new things began to sprout!

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  7. My personal demolition projects are usually involuntary and unscheduled but I realize later that it was all part of a bigger plan :)

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  8. I think, even taking you too literally, I know so many buildings like this! They're doomed to fail and every fresh, new business quickly becomes stale.
    However, I know you meant it symbolically, and yes, there have been many times in which demolition was the only obvious answer for something new to grow in its place.

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  9. Wow. Great post, my dear. And once again, it would appear our hearts are in similar places. I'd love to hear about some of those dreams before they come down...if you share, I'll share ;)

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  10. This was a fantastic analogy to our personal lives, Tracie! Yes, I've been there in continuing to color life a different shade or with decorations. And sometimes, you're right, you need to start over from scratch. Good post :)

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  11. Word. Beautiful analogy and yes, I have! I'm actually working on this now. ;)

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  12. Oh, yes. Definitely. There have been things in my life I had to completely get rid of in order to start over. I tried a few times to give them a makeover but finally, they had to go.

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  13. Like what? I can't wait to see Tracie. I do feel like, with you, everything is always new and fresh. Your heart is always full of wonder.

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  14. Lovely post and idea and best of luck with your fresh start! Stopping in from SITS Sharefest :)

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  15. Yes! And you can't necessarily rebuild on the same foundation either - if it was weak and crumbling for the old building, it will be for the new. Better to break new ground and build something strong.

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  16. Oh absolutely! It's so scary, the tearing down. It can feel like destruction until it's done. But the space for rebirth is always there. Can't wait to see what brand new dreams you build!

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