Texture by Kim Klassen; waterfront 7 magic, 100% soft light
To embark on the journey towards your goals and dreams requires bravery.
To remain on that path requires courage.
The bridge that merges the two is commitment.
~Steve Maraboli
Entrepreneur and I went to the Missouri Tigers game in Knoxville, Tennessee a few weeks ago. It was perfect football weather and we spent our tailgating hours on the Tennessee riverfront….with this view! The reflection of the bridge with the setting sun was too good a photo to pass up.
And it got me thinking about journeys and bridges….how excited do we get when we begin a journey towards a dream in life? We’re so full of optimism and hope as we explode out of the gate, we forget that most journeys are long-distance races and not sprints. All that bravery at embarking on a new direction can sometimes becomes a distant memory if it takes too long to achieve our goal.
Staying the course on the journey can be difficult. Soon, the road gets hard; there are detours and potholes. At times we may find we need to start over, which cause us to feel frustrated and disappointed. We can either muster up the courage to push through the rough times…or give up. It takes courage to stay the course and finish the journey, no matter how long it takes to achieve the dream.
Commitment. Many times, the difference between success and failure. The bridge between the bravado of embarking on a dream and the courage of staying the course during the difficult times is commitment. A concept that is sometimes very foreign in our immediate-gratification-everyone-gets-an-award society. One or two set backs and our psyche is probably still okay. Three setbacks and we may be getting a bit shaken. Four or more? We’re done. Right? Sometimes we expect to be awarded our dream without really wanting to do the hard work to get it. After all, we’re entitled to live our dream, aren’t we?
Whether it’s school, relationships or career, the bridge between bravery and courage is always commitment. Sometimes that can be a very looonnngggg bridge! But worth it if you are patience enough to figure out a way to the other side!
Linking up with Texture Tuesday and Texture Twist
Peripheral Perceptions 
Sometimes it’s hard to know whether the dream is worth the commitment, the patience and perseverance required. Sometimes it takes being really tough to figure out which way we need to go. But always, patience is required – as you said, tough in this age of instant gratification.
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Gorgeous photo! Love the quote.
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Indeed, it is so worth it! This is a great post, Lisa.
I hope you had a very happy Thanksgiving, and I wish you a beautiful Christmas season.
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So beautiful!! You always have such thoughtfulness in your posts…I love this one. And I love your new blog background with snow falling. So relaxing, to me.
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Such a beautiful image – I love the colors and reflections off of the water. Lovely post too!
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Cannot see a bridge without remembering Simon & Garfunkel’s song of Bridge over Troubled waters:) Beautiful capture!
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this resonates with me. I am attending college later in life and have been recovering from bi-lateral pneumonia. I have a lot of make up work to do by the end of the semester…big commitment.
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Lovely post, and what a great photo of the bridge. Looking at the photo and your words reminds me of so many bridges I’ve crossed over the years, and also some that have been burned. Life sure is a mystery of ifs. As I age, I sometimes find myself playing the if game, and I have to make myself quit. hahaha If I’d done this different, If I’d done that different. If I’d stuck at school instead of the path I took. See, doing it here. hahahahaha lol You always have thought provoking posts. 🙂
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Beautiful light in your photograph!
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Faaaaabulous photograph AND quote, Lisa! Gorgeous!
” A concept that is sometimes very foreign in our immediate-gratification-everyone-gets-an-award society.”
Amen! Commitment is the thing; sticking with something, even when it might not be in the “time” we think it should be. Also, for me, it’s staying open and flexible to taking detours that might lead to something better than I could have imagined.
Love your new header, background color, and SNOW! Well done, my friend!
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I love that image (and the quote) –beautiful reflection!
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I love your simplicity for life lessons!
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Good word. It reminds me of what my hubby is doing right now. At 53 he teaching himself software coding like html, javascript and CSS. Definitely a marathon not a sprint.
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Your twinkling header is so beautiful, and I love the falling snow flake effect! I agree with you about commitment and working toward a goal.
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Forgot to say…..The image of the reflection is exquisite.
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Love your blog header image. WOW! The bridge is great, but, the header wins with me.
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I love bridges, but it concerns me that the country can’t figure out how to keep them repaired!
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That is a wonderful photo. Great sentiment too.
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What’s up, I read your new stuff on a regular basis. Your
writing style is witty, keep up the good work!
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