3/31/2019 0 Comments Strong ties and weak tiesEvery day at lunch I quickly finish my sandwich and fruit, and then delve into the next great book. This time is precious and I savor every minute of my half-hour break. I've been reading through The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. I would encourage you all to read it sometime. Habits are habitual (brilliant idea!), so I was not aware how influential the subconscious patterns of my life were in shaping who I am and what I do.
The chapter which struck me the most as I think of the goals of Unstoppable included an analysis of the Montgomery Bus Boycott through the lens of habits. How was Rosa Parks able to initiate change through her one act of rebellion? How did she use her voice to reach thousands? Duhigg identifies the underlying forces as "strong ties and weak ties." Parks had her close-knit group of friends who supported her, but she also gained the support of the man across town whom she had never met. She had "strong ties" with her friends; these folks would help her at the drop of hat. The man across town, let's call him Dave, was a "weak tie", a sort of friend of a friend. Dave may not have come running to help Rosa Parks if she called him, however, if there were a friend in need, say Rob, then Dave would be there. If Rob supported Rosa Parks, there's a good chance that Dave would step up and stand by Rob. This is how Rosa Parks was able to start a movement. Passion passed from Rosa Parks, to her strong ties, to her weak ties, and pretty soon, there was a multitude of individuals fighting together. Had Rosa Parks solely relied on her friends, there's a good chance her influence would have piddled out quickly. As Unstoppables, we strive to reach our communities and also our world. With that being said, and thinking of Rosa Parks, if we work only in the small group that we are, we're not going to make it. We may help a small portion of our world, and that is wonderful, but if we want to grow our influence, we need help. We need the boldness to share our visions with our friends so that they may carry our voice to their circles. That's what I hope we can do here. We are friends, sisters in Christ, fellow ambassadors. Share with one another your passions and let us help you to change the world! What's on your heart today?
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