Crossing Burnt Bridges

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We have all been told not to burn bridges because you may have to cross them again. Did we listen?  Most of the time we did.  I have to admit that I have burnt a few bridges.  But the question I want to put before you is this, “How do you go back across a bridge that you have burned?”  Let me give you five (5) steps:

First you acknowledge that the bridge has been burned. We cannot solve a problem if we are not aware that there is one.  Second, you look at what is now missing from the other side of the bridge.  Third, you decide how important it is to get back to the other side again, or if you even want to go back.  Fourth, you start rebuilding the bridge on your side instead of waiting for the other side to start rebuilding.  And lastly, be careful with the matches once you get back across that bridge.  You don’t want to take a chance on starting another fire, which might burn down the bridge again.

Change the Strategy Not the Goal

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How many times have you set a goal and found yourself working so diligently towards it and all of a sudden BAM! You hit a roadblock and you turn the corner to find that there is yet another obstacle blocking your view.  So what do you do?  Do you turn around and go back or do you change courses?  You still want to get to your destination, however you cannot go the way that you planned.  I would suggest that you change the strategy, not the goal.

Many of us get caught up in doing things one way. I know because I was that person.  If things didn’t go the way I had it written down then it wasn’t going to happen.  Whew!  What a difference my life has become since I decided to leave room for the unexpected.  And believe it or not, I am having so much more fun with this new life.  It feels good to realize that you are not in control of everything that happens.  I still set goals.  I still plan.  I still write down my “I Will” list every night before I go to bed.  But guess what?  I am not governed by that list.  When things change I move on to something else, or I create something that is not even on the list.  I follow my spirit.  I have learned to go with the flow.  What a beautiful feeling!  Try it.

 

Test Drive Outside Your Price Range

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So many of us are stuck in the same place mentally, physically, and professionally because we have convinced ourselves that certain things are not attainable. We won’t go to the car lot and check out the latest vehicle because it’s out of our price range.  We fail to apply for the promotion because we are not ready for the challenge yet.  We overlook the guy in the three-piece suit who owns the business because we feel like he is out of our league.  Well, let me tell you something!  You will never get that new car if you could never see yourself driving it.  You will never get that promotion if you are afraid of the challenge that comes with it.  You will never catch the eye of the business owner if you feel that you are beneath him.  As long as you think small then you will continue to play small.  I want everything that God has for me and then some.  You should always believe that what you have to offer is valuable.  Everyone at the top started somewhere below where they are now.  There are successful careers and marriages that were built on struggle alone.  What we see on the surface does not show the steps that were taken to get there.  You could be sitting at the table with millionaires and not know their struggles to maintain what they have.  You don’t know whether or not they sleep at night or stay awake wondering if they might lose it all.  We all think that we want to walk in another person’s shoes, until we learn about the strength and tenacity that it took to get those shoes.  You don’t know how many doors were slammed in someone’s face before they finally got the job.  You don’t know how many times their car broke down on the side of the road before they were able to afford a new one.  What about all the failed marriages before they finally met the right person and was able to make it last.  We really don’t know what it takes to be another person.  All we know is what it takes to be ourselves, and most of the time we limit that because we are afraid to test drive outside our price range!

Hate That Thing

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I was watching a live video a few days ago with advice on how to move forward and get what belongs to you in life. Although I wrote down all six of the steps that were mentioned, that last one really struck with me and resonated in my soul. Hate that thing! She talked about how we hate our job but we show up every day.  Obviously we don’t hate it enough to find another one or do what we love on the side until we can turn that into a viable source of income.  We hate our relationships and marriages, but we don’t hate it enough to seek help or try to correct what is wrong.  We’d rather be in a bad relationship rather than be alone.  Oh my God!  Just stepped on somebody’s toes!  We hate the house we live in and our neighborhood, but we must not hate it enough because we are not doing anything to change our circumstances.  We are not saving money so that we can get out and make a better life for ourselves and our families.  So, I guess we really don’t hate that thing, do we?

The above is a compilation of what I heard on the video and my interpretation of it.

Do The Next Thing

 

 

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Do the next thing!  In my daily reading I ran across those words and they really set the tone for my day and my week.  On many occasions we find ourselves stuck on solving a problem that is right in front of us.  We don’t think that we can accomplish another thing until we move this item off our plate.  But that’s not true.  Do the next thing and watch how your level of stress drops and eventually the problem almost solves itself.

I remember a few weeks ago I was looking for my business license to determine the exact renewal date.  I knew it had to be renewed in August, but I wasn’t sure if it was early, mid or late August.  I tore my office up looking until I finally said, “Well, I have no idea where it is.”  The next day I was doing my morning meditation and God said check the copier.  To my surprise there was the business license right where I had put it when I made a copy to send to someone earlier.  You will be shocked at how easy it is to find something when you stop looking for it.