Invisible Glue

by Emil Wyss, Toastmasters Club of Berne, 2004

What is the secret of blooming relationships?

What holds Switzerland's highest mountains together?

Is there some invisible glue, which we should know more about?

Let's talk about relationships first

We tend to think that the feelings we have for another person, an animal, a garden, a club, a company is the mysterious glue.

But feelings come and go, too many relationships start sweetly and end bitterly.

Are we not able to break this pattern? Or, let it put this way: How can we make sure that the feelings we long for continue?

Feelings are the most dominant motivator within us. But when they fade, more than just hope is needed to bring them back. For that reason, the necessary groundwork has to start before feelings take over. Accordingly, the following 3-step-approach is rather rational than romantic:

By the way: do you remember your Toastmasters promise on the first pages of your manual?

A sound commitment creates lasting feelings and the invisible glue of a relationship.

The periodic renewal of a commitment prevents us from becoming careless, self-centred and therefore less attractive. (renew your primary commitments and your neighbours grass won't look greener any longer)

Now, let's discover the glue that holds Switzerland's mountains together.

When you stand in front of a high, snow covered mountain you certainly are impressed. And you hope the rocks won't fall on you. There is a reason, why they don't crash on you:

Switzerland's highest mountains are committed to keep all those colossal masses of stones in place.

They fulfil this promise with the invisible but strong glue of ice underneath the surface. This glue is called permafrost and begins at an altitude of something like 2'500 m above sea level.

As much as 1/5 of the worlds land is constantly frozen, and 1/3 of Switzerland's alpine area is covered by permafrost. Nothing can control the fall of huge parts of mountains except this invisible glue. Permafrost prevents the destruction of valuable infrastructures, entire villages. It saves hundreds, maybe thousands of lives.

As we found out before, a commitment always needs two parties.

Our part of the deal is to battle global warming. We can do so every day by saving energy as much as possible, by recycling all the time whatever you can, and by persuading others to do the same.

If we fail, our partner in this relationship, Switzerland's highest mountains, will not be able to keep its promise either. The invisible glue of permafrost will be spent rapidly. The consequences, you already know, are grave.

Conclusion

Toastmaster of the Evening, Fellow Toastmasters, dear Guests

Let me conclude by inviting you