Page 47 - Standard Workbook 8-27-18

TOPUCU Standard Workbook Lesson 7: Part 2

LESSON 7: PART 2
when you completed your trip across, you When you decide to decide, you have to
BURN THE BRIDGE continued to look back at the other side. burn that bridge.

You’re not consciously doing it; you do it Your memorization for this lesson is to
because of your habitual behavior, which we visualize whatever challenge or habit
learned about in Lesson One. That old habit change you’re working on through this
is still stored in your brain and because you program; picture the thing that is holding
Think about a wedding you attended where saying to yourself, this is supposed to be a didn’t burn the bridge you will continually you back from completing your goal; picture
you knew someone in the wedding party lesson on commitment, not motivation. Well, be tempted to cross back over it. A few will the excuses, the bad habits, the laziness, the
or a family member. You knew the bride here’s the point. They did all of the hard work sprint back over it, but for most of you, it will negative thoughts. Picture that thing sitting
or groom. Maybe you knew the parents or to lose weight for the wedding and they be a slow stroll – you know, like a few potato on top of a bridge and then visualize that
sibling of one of the people getting married. crossed over the bridge called weight loss. If chips here and a bowl of ice cream there and bridge blowing up! We’re sure you’ve seen
Either way, it’s safe to say that if you’re at the they didn’t burn the weight loss bridge they within a few months you’re standing on the a bridge blown up in the movies – detonate
wedding, you have a relationship with one probably found themselves slowly strolling other side again. All that hard work, all that that sucker and blow it to smithereens. This
of the people at the front of the church. We back over it. Think about how they came effort, all that sacrifice is gone in what seems could mean going through your cabinets
can all agree that most people attending the across it in the first place. Maybe they walked to be a blink of an eye. and refrigerator and trashing some of the
wedding do things to prepare themselves across the bridge, meaning that they slowly unhealthy items you have. Or it could mean
for that special day. And a lot of what they started working on a weight loss program or Let’s look at another example. Have you ever cutting up your credit cards. Maybe it means
do relates to their personal appearance. they started cutting back on their portions. decided that you want to get out of debt? severing relationships with people that are a
One of the things you probably noticed is Maybe they decided to give up ice cream You start controlling your spending; you bad influence in your life. Whatever it takes,
how they got into better shape or more and sweets. Or maybe they jogged across become aware of what you’re using your you have to burn the bridge!
specifically lost some weight. Why do you the bridge, which means in addition to eating money for and decide what you can do
without. You begin down the path towards a

"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to life free of debt. But because you didn’t burn NOTES:
excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor." — Vince Lombardi the bridge, somewhere along the way that
desire for things you don’t necessarily need
begins to creep back into your life and the
think that is? Well, you learned the answer properly they started doing some physical next thing you know you have as much, or
to that in Lesson Two when we spoke about activity like walking. This way they burned more, debt than you did before.
the Motivation Scales. Who wants to look at more calories and took the weight off a little
the wedding pictures and be disappointed quicker. Perhaps they’re a type-A personality Or, what about the example of someone
in the way they looked? This is a perfect and just got after it and ran across the challenged with an addiction? It could
example of external motivation. They know bridge. They went into a dramatic weight be gambling, eating, shopping, drugs or
the wedding is coming in six months and so loss program, started riding their bike and alcohol...the list goes on. Think about it,
they begin taking the necessary steps to lose joined a Cross Fit group. You know what we someone works really hard at overcoming
weight. They’re externally motivated because mean. The point is they chose a speed with their addiction and it looks like they’ve made
of how they will look at the wedding in the which to go across the bridge. it, but because they didn’t burn the bridge,
eyes of others and not internally motivated what happens? They’re right back at it.
to make a transformation that will last them Let’s return from our analogy about a We’ve all heard people say things like, what’s
a lifetime. And while there are some cases wedding to you. Almost everyone has done it going to hurt if I just make one more
where external motivation can cause a the same thing with either the weight-loss purchase or play that one hand of cards or
long-term transformation, most of the time bridge, the school-work bridge, the getting have just one beer? This is exactly what we
it doesn’t. After the wedding, the pounds in-shape bridge, the get out of debt bridge, are talking about. It’s that first step back
gradually begin to pile back on, and in no and the list goes on. Here’s the problem. across the bridge that leads to the second,
time they are back to the weight they started After the bridge is crossed over, it is left and eventually, a trip all the way back over.
at or maybe even heavier. You’re probably intact. Because the bridge wasn’t burned,

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