In Greek mythology, Achilles was a hero of the Trojan War who was known as being the greatest of all the Greek warriors.
Achilles' most notable victory during the Trojan War was the slaying of the Trojan prince Hector outside the gates of Troy. Although the death of Achilles is not presented in the Homer’s Iliad, other sources concur that he was killed near the end of the Trojan War by Paris, who shot him with an arrow.
Achilles was invulnerable in all of his body except for one heel.
According to that myth, when his mother Thetis dipped him in the river Styx as an infant, she held him by one of his heels leaving it untouched by the waters and thus his only vulnerable body part.
Despite his superhuman strength to conquer, Achilles’ heel was vulnerable to weakness.
Prior to his death, Achilles had led one battle after another. In fact, over a 9 year period of time, he was undefeated in battle. Until the arrow of adversity exposed his vulnerability in the Achilles heel.
I am sure in that moment, Achilles had felt everything he had accomplished in battle to protect the Greeks vs the Trojans in the Trojan War was — All For Nothing.
Most people believe vulnerability is weakness.
I’m finding that God uses the very thing in our lives that makes us feel weak to help us recognize His power to accomplish things we could never imagine ourselves.
The same thing you see as a weakness to you is actually the very thing God will use to make you strong for His kingdom.
A couple weeks prior to tearing my Achilles playing basketball (March 2023), I had signed up for a 50 mile ultra marathon race.
I began to get this urge to compete again in endurance events.
To test & expand my limits— regardless of my limited time to train, considering all of the things I had going on in life & business.
Over the years I’ve discovered Endurance is my #1 skillset.
But, it had also become my Achilles Heel.
A great skillset for accomplishing & conquering — but at what cost?
God sent me a different endurance race. He sent me what I needed, not what I wanted.
My Achilles Heel was also my #1 skillset — this is also true for most people.
Because what got you here, will not get you there… the inputs of your actions have to evolve, in order to accomplish different outputs.
I never ask for help, support or really much of anything because I can endure the burdens of the world on my shoulder, regardless of the circumstances. Until my world got turned upside down and screeching to a halt, I had not realized I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders for nearly everyone around me — family, friends, & toxic business partners.
Rupturing my Achilles Heel forced me to be vulnerable in every aspect of my life. It forced me to become grounded in every aspect of my life.
You have to slow down to speed up & it’s much more important to go slower in the right direction, than very fast in the wrong direction.
Most people’s Achilles Heel is the inability to be vulnerable as they mistake it for being weak. Or, they are too vulnerable and in reality they are thinking & acting as the Victim.
The Achilles Tendon is said to be the strongest tendon in one’s body, coincidentally it is the most vulnerable. Without it, your body becomes nearly useless.
Rupturing my Achilles Tendon forced me to rebuild the foundation in every area of my life.
My entire environment: thoughts, habits, people/partnerships/relationships, places & things — all of it had to evolve.
The unexpected injury provided an opportunity to become grounded again; I had to plant stronger roots to withstand stronger storms.
I had to become silent.
I had to become intentional.
I had to utilize my Achilles Heel as my greatest strength.
Most people can’t go silent.
The silence is too loud.
The enemy creeps into the mind during idle times.
Whether one is building a Skyscraper or an Empire for generational wealth —
The Foundation will either be the Strength of Success or the Achilles Heel to demise.
Brick by brick, my great grandparents literally & figuratively laid the foundation for future generations.
In the midst of chaos from WW2, like most Italian immigrants, my great grandparents fled their hometown of Genoa, Italy & eventually settled into Columbus, Ohio.
Why Columbus, Ohio?
Well… they could hardly speak English & when they arrived on the east coast, Gov’t officials eventually instructed to send them to Columbus, Ohio because my great grandfather, Pietro Bossetti, kept saying “Columbus” repeatedly when they would ask him questions.
Assuming this is where my great grandparents were determined to arrive, they sent them off on a journey to settle & eventually become “brick layers” in Italian Village, a surrounding neighborhood of downtown Columbus, Ohio.
In reality, it was just my great Grandfather attempting to express they were from the same hometown as Christopher Columbus. Lol
Regardless of the destination, settling anywhere in America at that time was a better option than living under the ruling of Dictator, Benito Mussolini — an ally to Adolf Hitler.
If it weren’t for my great grandparents risking their lives to migrate & become hard working brick layers in America — I wouldn’t have the strong foundation to build the empire & continue the legacy.
Some of you are the brick layers — setting the strong foundation, brick by brick, for your future generations to build upon.
Some of you are receiving the strong foundation & it is your responsibility to capitalize on the opportunity.
Some of you are potentially receiving the empire…
Regardless of where you are at in the Empire building or sustaining journey — it is vital to ensure your foundation & environment is strong to withstand the storms of adversity.
Whether it means laying stronger bricks to better root the sturdy Foundation or to remove the toxic bricks (thoughts, habits, people, places, things, a job/career) for fresh roots to ground unbreakable foundation.
As each day passes, you have an opportunity to lay another brick & ensure you are not doing it — All For Nothing.
Although you may be in your “building journey” alone, it does not mean you need to be lonely.
PS - Text Me if you’d like to connect!
My cell phone number is: +1 (614) 660-5921
Brick by brick — build your empire!