(no subject)
Samantha Schol
April, 29, 2009
O’Leary
Burning Bridges
The cliché “don’t burn your bridges” is used for many situations in life. It serves as a warning to everyone that they should be wary of making hasty decisions. A bridge is a metaphor for connections a person creates with others personally, professionally, or financially. When someone burns a bridge it means that they have forever damaged that relationship because of something that held momentary significance. The problems that arise when a bridge is burned are much harder if not impossible to mend. That is why people should never burn their bridges.
When employees burn their professional bridges it can affect their professional credibility. At one point or another many people have had a job where they felt underappreciated, under paid and over worked. When thing are not going well at work many people half heartedly wish that they could just walk off a job, very rarely dose that actually happen. Although, walking off a job felt good at the time, people that have burned their bridges at work and now have regrets about doing so. Later, when that employee starts to look for new employment their actions come back to haunt them. They have blemished their professional creditability and are viewed as unreliable. When a prospective employer sees that this applicant walked off a job, that applicant may be passed over for someone else who seems more reliable. Since that bridge is burned with the former employer, the employee has encountered hardships when they have applied for a new job. The hardships that the hasty employee now faces are more severe and longer lasting than the two weeks that it would have taken to properly quit.
Personal relationship bridges can be more emotionally distressing when those particular bridges are burned. When a couple gets married they have said that they will forsake all others until the day they die. Although, they have promised these things to each other, even the best marriages can end badly. If a spouse is unfaithful, there is a big risk that the damage caused by being unfaithful may have ruined the marriage. The years of hard work and emotional investment that each spouse had put into the marriage was destroyed in minutes of unfaithfulness. Both spouses are hurt by what has happened; unfortunately, many couples cannot fix the emotional damage that has been inflicted and end their marriage in divorce. Although, not all unfaithful marriages end in divorce, it will take many months possibly years, to fix the damage that a night of unfaithfulness has caused.
When financial bridges are burned by young people the consequences can plague many of them for years. It is a known fact that many young college students do not have a good personal accounting and budgeting skills. This group of young people has been known to spend copious amounts of money with nothing to show for it. This is a time in many young peoples’ lives when they begin to use and abuse credit cards. With misuse of their credit card they quickly put themselves into debt. A single student can accumulate tens of thousands of dollars of debt while enrolled in college. When they are unable to pay their credit card bill they default on their credit card. Defaulting on a credit card can have devastating effects on their credit score. Even after the credit card mayhem is over the problem with their credit score remains. Many former students have been burdened for years with bad credit because of credit card misuse in their college days.
People can avoid burning their bridges altogether, and save themselves potential years of turmoil in the future. When people burn their bridges they do it in haste not fully thinking about the ramifications of their actions. If someone has a problem at work, in their relationship, or financially they need to stop, analyze the problem. Afterwards, they should devise and carry out a viable solution for that problem. First, need to stop, if they are angry or upset they have to take a time out. It is understandable to become upset when things go badly, but they will never be able to find the best solutions for their problems when they are emotional. Second, they need to analyze their problems. Why they are unhappy with their job, or in their marriage? Why do they run out of money at the end of the month? Once they have found the root of the problem, the third step is they need find a solution to their problem. Talking things out with their spouse or manager about their problems is the beginning of resolving their conflicts in the office or at home. By sitting down and talking things out, they are building a better relationship with their spouse and coworkers. Students with money problems should talk to a financial aide advisor and together develop a student budget. Lastly, once an agreement or plan is decided upon they have to stick to the plan. The student should pass up the extra Starbucks to save money. The husband should pay more attention to the wife on the weekend to mend hurt feelings in their relationship. The employee should help start a casual Friday for the office, to create a neighborly atmosphere. If people would stop, analyze their situation then develop, and stick to a viable solution to their problems they would save themselves many headaches in the future that are caused by burned bridges.
April, 29, 2009
O’Leary
Burning Bridges
The cliché “don’t burn your bridges” is used for many situations in life. It serves as a warning to everyone that they should be wary of making hasty decisions. A bridge is a metaphor for connections a person creates with others personally, professionally, or financially. When someone burns a bridge it means that they have forever damaged that relationship because of something that held momentary significance. The problems that arise when a bridge is burned are much harder if not impossible to mend. That is why people should never burn their bridges.
When employees burn their professional bridges it can affect their professional credibility. At one point or another many people have had a job where they felt underappreciated, under paid and over worked. When thing are not going well at work many people half heartedly wish that they could just walk off a job, very rarely dose that actually happen. Although, walking off a job felt good at the time, people that have burned their bridges at work and now have regrets about doing so. Later, when that employee starts to look for new employment their actions come back to haunt them. They have blemished their professional creditability and are viewed as unreliable. When a prospective employer sees that this applicant walked off a job, that applicant may be passed over for someone else who seems more reliable. Since that bridge is burned with the former employer, the employee has encountered hardships when they have applied for a new job. The hardships that the hasty employee now faces are more severe and longer lasting than the two weeks that it would have taken to properly quit.
Personal relationship bridges can be more emotionally distressing when those particular bridges are burned. When a couple gets married they have said that they will forsake all others until the day they die. Although, they have promised these things to each other, even the best marriages can end badly. If a spouse is unfaithful, there is a big risk that the damage caused by being unfaithful may have ruined the marriage. The years of hard work and emotional investment that each spouse had put into the marriage was destroyed in minutes of unfaithfulness. Both spouses are hurt by what has happened; unfortunately, many couples cannot fix the emotional damage that has been inflicted and end their marriage in divorce. Although, not all unfaithful marriages end in divorce, it will take many months possibly years, to fix the damage that a night of unfaithfulness has caused.
When financial bridges are burned by young people the consequences can plague many of them for years. It is a known fact that many young college students do not have a good personal accounting and budgeting skills. This group of young people has been known to spend copious amounts of money with nothing to show for it. This is a time in many young peoples’ lives when they begin to use and abuse credit cards. With misuse of their credit card they quickly put themselves into debt. A single student can accumulate tens of thousands of dollars of debt while enrolled in college. When they are unable to pay their credit card bill they default on their credit card. Defaulting on a credit card can have devastating effects on their credit score. Even after the credit card mayhem is over the problem with their credit score remains. Many former students have been burdened for years with bad credit because of credit card misuse in their college days.
People can avoid burning their bridges altogether, and save themselves potential years of turmoil in the future. When people burn their bridges they do it in haste not fully thinking about the ramifications of their actions. If someone has a problem at work, in their relationship, or financially they need to stop, analyze the problem. Afterwards, they should devise and carry out a viable solution for that problem. First, need to stop, if they are angry or upset they have to take a time out. It is understandable to become upset when things go badly, but they will never be able to find the best solutions for their problems when they are emotional. Second, they need to analyze their problems. Why they are unhappy with their job, or in their marriage? Why do they run out of money at the end of the month? Once they have found the root of the problem, the third step is they need find a solution to their problem. Talking things out with their spouse or manager about their problems is the beginning of resolving their conflicts in the office or at home. By sitting down and talking things out, they are building a better relationship with their spouse and coworkers. Students with money problems should talk to a financial aide advisor and together develop a student budget. Lastly, once an agreement or plan is decided upon they have to stick to the plan. The student should pass up the extra Starbucks to save money. The husband should pay more attention to the wife on the weekend to mend hurt feelings in their relationship. The employee should help start a casual Friday for the office, to create a neighborly atmosphere. If people would stop, analyze their situation then develop, and stick to a viable solution to their problems they would save themselves many headaches in the future that are caused by burned bridges.