Photo: D. Paul Graham / Elder Mill Covered Bridge, built in 1897, the only covered bridge along the Georgia Antebellum Trail, Watkinsville, GA circa 2021

Monday 5 Things™…..Of Bridges Burnt…..

I have always been fascinated by the Vikings; not for their ruthless plundering and pillaging though. Rather, the image of intrepid seafaring Norsemen in their longships traversing unchartered waterways of the new world has captivated me since I was a kid. Even more so when I discovered how the Ostman, when advancing for battle, would often burn the bridges behind them; sometimes even burning the very ships that they sailed into harbors. Leaving only two options – victory or death. Today M5T looks at when burning a bridge can and should be a choice.

1. Cost.

Bridges connect two places. They provide for opportunities, for advancement over obstacles. Bridges bring us to new lands, fresh experiences, and growth from new beginnings. But, when the cost of going back far exceeds the cost of moving ahead, it may be time to burn the bridge. “Commitment means burning all bridges behind you.” ~Billy Graham

2. Illumination.

The light of a burning bridge helps navigate your way forward. A burning bridge clarifies your direction and your objective. The bright fire of a burning bridge enlightens your journey and compels a focus to survive. “When one burns one’s bridges, what a very nice fire it makes.” ~ Dylan Thomas

3. Breaking Points.

Burning a bridge is necessary when you’ve reached a breaking point; if you are being taken advantage of, abused, or your worth is not recognized by others. Chances are those people won’t even realize that their actions provided the fuel that allowed you to burn the bridge. “We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered.” ~ Tom Stoppard

4. Release.

Toxic relationships, destructive habits and addictions, misdirected priorities, self-doubt. To name but a few struggles that we all have. There are thoughts we have, lifestyles that we lead, people that we surround ourselves with and points in life where what we lose needs to be lost. Moments of seeming defeat or forfeiture can often be the catalyst to newfound or renewed strength and victory. “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” ~ Seneca

5. No Turning Back.

Some roads should not be travelled again. If your values have been compromised, if belief in yourself and your dreams has been damaged, or when your life has become cluttered, burning a bridge can be the means to regaining what is most important to you. The value of your freedom, where you place your faith, learning to love yourself, your courage, and your growth, all demand that you don’t turn back. Burning a bridge means you won’t be able to go back to where you shouldn’t have gone in the first place. “The hardest thing in life to learn is which bridge to cross and which to burn.”~ David Russell

Here’s to a week of having the wisdom to know which bridges should be crossed and left intact, and which bridges should be burned.

© 2021 D. Paul Graham, all rights reserved.

D. Paul Graham is passionate about people, culture, photography and business. He has embraced his wanderlust with his travels around the globe and is at peace with his need for spirited drives in all things automotive.

You can find M5T each Monday here on www.southmag.com and by friending D. Paul Graham on Facebook. Paul is also a contributing photographer to South Magazine. His photographic work can be found on Instagram @dpgraham and at www.imageGRAHAM.com . Your feedback is always welcome. Email Paul at dpg@imagegraham.com