Burning the Bridge

Not the strategic bridges in our cities; Not the vital links to our so called ruralities.
But the bridges that link us to those same places we know we shouldn’t return to.
The best story of a man who burnt his bridge  that I have heard of recent was of a man in Ibadan Nigeria, who had made up his mind to run a charity after graduation from the University.
Charities are not-for-profit, and no doubt we have seen at least a few which have failed especially due to poor funding/patronage. At such times the proprietors have to take up other jobs / pre-occupations.
This gentleman made up his mind that the charity would work; it works or I die!
What did he do? He simply did not go on the compulsory Nigerian National Youth Service scheme! This means that if his charity had failed, he would never have been able to get another job!
When Wilbur and Orville Wright insisted that man could fly in the air like birds, they were resolute about it. After the 1st plane crash in history in which Orville’s friend died on the 17th Sept 1908, Orville was badly fractured.

A friend visiting Orville in the hospital asked, “Has it got your nerve?”

“Nerve?” repeated Orville, slightly puzzled. “Oh, do you mean will I be afraid to fly again? The only thing I’m afraid of is that I can’t get well soon enough to finish those tests next year.” 

Deeply shocked by the accident, Wilbur determined to make even more impressive flight demonstrations; in the ensuing days and weeks he set new records for altitude and duration. In January 1909 Orville and Katharine joined him in France, and for a time they were the three most famous people in the world, sought after by royalty, the rich, reporters and the public. The kings of England, Spain and Italy came to see Wilbur fly. [1]

Several of us have dreams to which we cannot imagine ourselves committing our own lives. I can imagine how much of Thomas Edison’s time 10, 000 experiments would have taken. But that is why I can type after dusk! He invented the light bulb.

“If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” [2]

I bet 3 experiments would have been enough to turn my heart after another project! For some, 7 would have confirmed “perfect” impossibility!
I wonder if we could find any successful man who did not at one time or another remove the bridge-to-the-comfort-zone!
Elisha was a popular man of God. He was working with his oxen and wooden farm implements when Elijah suddenly appeared and dropped his mantle on him. Elisha killed the oxen, and offered them as a sacrifice, using his wooden implements as fuel for the fire. So there was nothing to return to if he failed as a prophet. [3] Do I have one dream I could live and die for?
Do you?
What bridges do we have to burn?
Pls: cross over before burning the bridge! 🙂

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_brothers
[2] http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Thomas_A._Edison/

[3] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+19%3A19-21&version=NIV