Building Bridges for One’s Self

By Eric Mathis – Certified Life Coach & Speaker

Building Bridges for One’s Self
Photo Credit: Gregory D. Mathis
Sunshine Skyway Bridge 2020

Where do you want to go? Let me re-phrase that. Where do you desire to go in life? Let’s take a moment to reflect upon this question. My personal experience has taught me that the answer comes from the heart and I work daily to ensure that what my heart is telling me and what my mind is thinking are in alignment.

I assist others, as a teacher and coach, in maximizing the results that go into strengthening the bridge that leads to a greater, more positive connection with yourself. Over the next few minutes, I will share three action steps that might help you to be more present of mind and enhance your ability to create more positive change.

A bridge is utilized to connect one place to another so that one can move more easily across an apparent gap. Take for instance the Sunshine Skyway bridge. It provides the connection between two counties so thousands of people can drive across the mouth of Tampa Bay each day. When the bridge is open everything flows smoothly. When it is closed it can create tremendous stress on commuters.

Now take your image of the Sunshine Skyway bridge and view it as an internal bridge that spans from the southernmost part of your brain to the northernmost part of your heart. I call it one’s Thought bridge and I help clients focus more attention on the thought-winds that flow across it. Why? Because the way you are seeing things from your mind’s perspective is not always in alignment with your heart’s perspective. I assist you in bringing the thoughts of the mind down into the “workshop” of the heart and begin a conversation. Are you ready to take action that might enhance that conversation?

#1: Create Personal Space. This is a place where you will spend time with yourself. It is important to select a physical location where you feel safe. The intention here is to detach, even if for a few minutes, from the “hustle and bustle of life” in order to calm the mind and apply inward focus to create more positive, powerful energy.

#2: Create Positive Mental Flow*. If we are going for a ride across the Sunshine Skyway bridge, we want to ensure we have proper and sufficient fuel in the tank. Likewise, we need the proper and sufficient fuel to travel across our Thought bridge. Mahatma Gandhi’s words of wisdom alerts us to the proper fuel to use. He said to “keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.” You must be willing to create sufficient fuel to put in your tank. I encourage you to take some time to reflect on his words and substitute the word “my” for “your” while adding “I choose to” at the beginning.

#3: Embrace Change. It has been said that true success can be defined by our ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Success determined by you. I found it necessary to embrace the changes that are part of life and doing so with a stronger more positive mindset.

*Website blog article (March 2020): ThoughtTalks – “Creating Positive Mental Flow”

The fourth, fifth and subsequent steps will be of your choosing. I hope you will choose to commit the next seven days to honor yourself. Choose to utilize some of the twenty-four hours available to you each day to implement these suggested ideas. It might change your life.

Helen Keller had the belief that “ideas without action are worthless.” I agree. A willingness to embrace this radical change of thought has brought me to where I am – here, present and living life in the moment. That is priceless to me!

Where do you truly desire to go in life?

At INWARD FOCUS FORWARD we hold space with you in safety and non-judgment allowing for the authentic conversation of one’s thoughts to take place. We provide coaching, which is like having a fellow traveler to support you and ask thought-provoking questions. You’ll be inspired to enlarge the personal and professional potential you already possess. Let’s work together on you becoming your best!

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