If you’re like a lot of people, you probably left your 20s with quite a few bridges in flames behind you.
As a teenager, I’d say all sorts of nasty things to my parents. We all did. We’d tell them we hated them. We’d tell them they were stupid. Luckily, they’re parents, and they won’t abandon you over being a typical bratty teen. But my mom would warn me not to say things like that to others – not to end things on a bad note. “Don’t burn bridges. You never know when you’ll need to cross one again.” I went into my twenties feeling fully justified in telling off bad bosses when I quit, not realizing I’d later need a reference. I said everything on my mind during friend breakups, not realizing that ex-friend may one day be the hiring party at a company I interviewed for. You just don’t know how life will play out, and you rarely get anything good from burning bridges. But you will often wish you hadn’t.
Kel Mitchell and his wife Asia Lee announce they're having a second child through an adorable Tik Tok.
Enablers are everywhere, and those who don’t really want to change or admit their flaws will find them. They’ll find someone else who likes to spend money recklessly to tell them that that $5,000 a month luxury apartment is a good idea. They’ll find another friend who cheats on her boyfriends to tell her it’s fine to cheat.
What words of wisdom have you taken from Dr. Angelou?