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A friend of mine recently sent me a blog to read that I thought was really good so I wanted to summarize and share the main points with all of you….

As leaders, we all have bridges to our pasts. We have connections that reach across time, linking us to our previous experiences. These bridges can benefit us by providing access to a storehouse of pleasant memories and helpful lessons. However, these bridges can also harm us by keeping us in contact with traumatic events in our personal history.“The hardest thing to learn in life,” writes David Sanders, “is to know which bridge to cross and which bridge to burn.” Here are  four bridges to the past that a leader would be wise to set ablaze.

Bridge #1: Wrongs Done to Us

Be a good forgetter. Business dictates it, and success demands it.” Forgiveness allows you to be free from the nightmares of the past and to reclaim your dreams for the future.  We burn bridges to past injuries by taking the high road. Revenge may feel like the preferable path, but ultimately it keeps us bound to our hurt. If there are people who have wronged you, do yourself a favor and give them something they don’t deserve but desperately need: the gift of forgiveness. It’s a gift that, once given, offers something in return.

Bridge #2: The Unfairness of Life

Life’s circumstances aren’t equal for everyone. At times, we encounter bad luck; our lives are beset by hardships that our friends have the good fortune to avoid.  Rather than permitting misfortunes to drag us down, we ought to develop an attitude which takes them in stride as an inevitable part of life. In this way, we empower ourselves to rise above life’s difficulties instead of being passive victims of them.

Bridge #3: Growth Inhibitors

Bad habits serve as bridges to the past. We persist in them because they’re familiar and because it’s painful to part with them. However, they prevent us from growing to our potential.  Breaking unhealthy patterns of behavior requires making hard decisions. We have to  be willing to exchange short-term comfort for long-term gain.

Bridge #4: Our Own Stupidity

Some people cannot seem to let go of failure. Instead of learning from setbacks, they allow mistakes to define them. By forgiving ourselves, we burn the bridge to our past failures and free ourselves to move forward.

Rachel