U Bein Bridge is a tourist attraction in Mandalay, Myanmar. It’s the oldest and longest teakwood bridge in the world.
We’d read about the bridge on a blog. Someone we follow had visited, taken some great pictures, and described the experience. We inquired about seeing the lake at the front desk of our hotel. The desk clerk arranged a taxi for us to cover the 45-minute ride. The driver picked us up 30 minutes later and drove us out to the edge of Taungthaman Lake.
Our driver walked us to the muddy bank and approached a Burmese boat driver. The 62-year-old gentleman agreed to accept 12,000 Kyat ($8.75) for our 90-minute cruise. We stepped gingerly on a piece of wood placed so that we’d avoid getting mud on our shoes.
Our boat driver paddled out through a small channel in the mud. Some young men standing in the water tugged our boat over a shallow spot to get us into the open lake.
We sat in the middle of the lake, watching the sun set behind the bridge crowded with people moving across. Some were tourists, but many were local folks on their way home from work on the far side.
After sunset, we rode back to the shore, walked to the taxi, and were soon delivered back to the hotel.
The bridge is beautiful, but so is the bridge of people who moved us from the hotel to the center of the lake and back. The blogger, the desk clerk, the taxi driver, the oarsman, and the young men in the water all acted as a bridge between us and beauty of the sunset.
The bridge of people brought us to our experience on the lake. Bridges matter. They get us from one side to the other.
Much of the time, we can’t get there from here without some help.
Sometimes the bridge that matters is the connection between us and our family. Sometimes it’s between us and our team. Sometimes it’s the bridge between us and our clients, our vendors, opposing counsel, or our referral sources. On most days, we’re required to cross many bridges.
And bridges do more than just get us from one side to the other.
Bridges are often the source of our satisfaction. Knowing people, feeling connected, and being part of our community are a big part of what makes our life enjoyable. Bridges help us feel good about what we do, where we live, and how we take care of ourselves and our families.
Many of us will spend some time contemplating resolutions for the new year soon.
Nothing you can do this year is more critical than building bridges.
You already know which of your bridges need building and which just need a bit of repair. Now is a good time to inspect your bridges between you and your family, you and your team, and you and your referral sources. Now is a good time to take a careful look.
Build bridges where they need to be built. Build bridges to get yourself from one side to the other. Build bridges to bring others along.
Most days lately, I get to watch someone build a bridge. It’s heartwarming and powerful. It reminds me to keep building my own bridges.
For two years, I’ve been witnessing Rosen Institute members build bridges between one another. Much of the bridge building goes on in their mini-mastermind groups of five or six members.
The bridges these lawyers build are more beautiful than a sunset over the U Bein Bridge. I watch as lawyers become less alone and more connected. They discover that they’re less worried, nervous, and afraid and more safe, comfortable, secure, and happy.
The bridges they’re building change their lives.
More importantly, the bridges they build change the lives of others. It feels good to give. Maybe this coming year will be your year to build a bridge?
The U Bein Bridge is three-quarters of a mile long. It took two years to construct back in 1849. Building bridges takes time. But they matter. They’re worth the effort. They are the key to getting from here to there.
As you contemplate your resolutions for the coming year, I hope you decide to include the building of a bridge or two for you. Doing the work, investing the time and attention, will help you find your way from one side to the other.
