The Bridge

(You are Optimistic!)

Why is change so difficult? You may want to lose weight, change jobs, change your relationships, exercise regularly or improve any area of your life and so you make a commitment to change because the “new” you will be so much better and happier. BUT, pretty soon, instead of feeling better you start feeling worse. What happened?

When we start to change, we hold a picture of future happiness and it is exactly that picture that pulls us out of where we are. This is a good thing. The problem is however that we don’t go without some amount of resistance! We don’t resist change because of future happiness. We all want that. We resist change because of the interim. The time that we are neither our old self nor our new self. This is called the bridge of transformation. You have to have the courage and patience to cross it or change just can’t happen.

No one is comfortable on the bridge. It’s scary and the winds of change are always blowing. Your old life is constantly yelling for you to turn around and come back to what is at least familiar. You will listen and you will slow your pace but don’t you dare look back! No matter how slow your pace, keep going! Many times the bridge is longer than it seemed but don’t let that stop you. Your old ways of doing things will keep calling but you just keep going. Let your mantra be: Patience and courage. Patience and courage. Patience and courage.

If you really want to make a change in your life, you have to hold a very clear picture of what the change will mean to you but you also have to understand that you are going to have to cross a bridge to get there. It will always be an uncomfortable trip but the key is to focus on just the next step. Every step will give you more strength. That’s the transformation. Whatever you want to do, be or have, it all starts with taking a step and you know what? It a great day to take one.

(c)2012 All Rights Reserved, Patrick McBride
www.PatrickInspires.com

 

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