Build bridges, not walls

The last few weeks have been hectic with a lot of business travel that I have had to do. I have been to California, New York, Dallas, Houston, and Bethany Beach on the Atlantic Ocean in Delaware. It’s been busy but very productive. I do enjoy traveling and I always find new things when I travel. I try to absorb the new messages that you can get from everywhere when you travel.

Embrace differences

My message for everyone today is to build bridges, not walls. Everyone is different. Everybody is diverse. We all have our own story to tell. Don’t be so obsessed about yourself, that you forget about the other people that are around you. When you see somebody, even though they may be different to you, reach out to them-take the first step, try to build a connection. Build a bridge to them, with them. Get to their side. Leave your side and move to their side and ask them their story.

Ask them what’s going on with them. Try and listen. Listen to what they are saying-not so that you can make a quick and smart reply, but so that you can give them the opportunity to be heard. So many times, that is all they need. They are not looking for a solution or advice on how you can fix them. They are just looking for an opportunity to be heard. They may be sitting in the midst of crowds and a lot of people, but inside they’re alone. Reach out, make a connection and build a bridge.

This is easier said than done. Everyone is so busy in the hustle and bustle of daily life and is so busy focusing on themselves, their own situation, their own problems, concerns, and anxieties, that they forget about the others. They build a wall and a fence around themselves and look inward rather than outward. I am encouraging you to look outward-reach out, cross the aisle, shake somebody’s hand, and have a conversation. You will be amazed at what this can do for you. You’ll be amazed at how much insight you can get by having those conversations.

You don’t have to do a PhD in Analytical Science or an MBA from an Ivy League school to become wise. Wisdom is all around you. Open your eyes, open your ears, and most importantly open your mind. Messages are being provided to you everywhere. The attention span of a human being is six seconds-that is less than the attention span of a goldfish. We are bombarded by messages across different media-text, print, audio, video and subliminal. We must make the choice to focus on the important messages rather than the urgent and prioritize accordingly.

If you are in a bad situation, you need to do something about it. Continuing to stay in that bad situation and not taking any action, is not going to help. For you to get a different outcome, you need to take a different action. If you do the same thing, you will get the same result. Have the courage to take a different action. Have the courage to expand your zone of comfort and your zone of possibility and move forward, even though it may seem daunting in the beginning – even though it may seem difficult, and you are afraid of the unknown, have faith in God. He is there with you. He is carrying you forward.

Do not be a creature of habit

We are all creatures of habit. We like to do the same thing. We are resistant to change. We are afraid of the unknown. But sometimes you need to take the first step, not knowing where that is going to take you.

You may have this feeling that it is going to be a better place than where you are today. That’s all that matters and is enough for you to take the first step.  You don’t need to have the entire pathway chalked out and well planned. All you need to do is to take the first step and to keep moving forward.

I am not saying that the path will be straight or that the path will be easy. You may go up and down and take two steps forward and three steps back and then some steps sideways. That’s OK. That’s what life is about. It is a panorama of experiences. But to experience those new chapters, you need to turn the page and let go of the old. You need to be open to embracing the new. You cannot live in the past and be in the present.

You must remember that a mistake is not a sin. We all make mistakes-you cannot be crucified for it. Sometimes people act with the best intentions, but the result is not in line with what they thought. That does not mean that they acted in a bad way or that they had evil or premeditated ulterior motives. Forgiveness is critical. You need to forgive yourself for your mistakes and more importantly, you need to forgive others for the wrongs they have done towards you. Life is short. Do not withhold communicating with somebody that you have wanted to and try to postpone it for tomorrow. Tomorrow may never come. All you have is today. Take action now. Do what you can today. Make the most of today.

Build bridges. Forgive. Be Grateful

Build bridges. Forgive. Be grateful. There is so much you need to be grateful for. When you travel and talk to other people and see other people’s situations and you expose your mind to messages, you realize that there is so much to be grateful for. Thank God. Open your mind. Forgive others. Build your treasures up in heaven where they are permanent and not down here, where they are temporary, and where moths and thieves will damage them and steal them.

Focus on yourself and your relationship with God, and on how you can improve. It is not your job to change the other person- that is not your responsibility. God will take care of the rest and the other person-you just focus on yourself and on strengthening your relationship with God. Build bridges not walls.

For additional details or questions and to schedule a complimentary discussion on how you/your team can be more adaptable and open to embracing change, and building bridges, please send me an email at coach@maximizeu.life