Travis Bridges

I just got THE greatest revelation in my entire life and I must share it.

I have always beaten myself up for thinking that as a single man, I didn’t have enough money, fame or fortune because I believed that’s what women wanted. (and they do).
Although it’s inside, our thoughts, feelings and emotions show greater than we think, as what we think transforms into who we are or become.
My focus on what I was not overshadowed what I was and I never basked in my strengths instead, wallowed in my “weaknesses”.
It held me back, I sabotaged myself and perhaps relationships that could have been good for me. I may never know.

Being overweight was my biggest! I was sure I had to be slim and trim to even think that I could really be celebrated and my desire to look good, look rich and “be” was motivated by what I though someone else wanted to see (and they do)
Well, over the past few months, I’ve been re-evaluating myself and over the past few days, I hit the total button to realize I have so much more surplus that I was not seeing.

My dear Mother once said to me; “son, if a woman loves you, she’ll be with you in a card board box”. I never thought she literally meant that but I went on to learn that she meant, that I, only want to be with someone who likes me for me for real and regardless of what I had or didn’t have, that I could be loved for just being Travis. WOW!
Is that all it took? I was always me. Perhaps no one ever saw me because of who I was trying to be or thought they wanted me to be. I could always feel that someone “really” didn’t like me. We always know don’t we? The truth in the matter is, I didn’t like me. smh.
There’s NO WAY anyone can like me if I don’t like myself and even if they did, I would never know because I couldn’t see through me not liking me. lol.

Negativity is only strong because positivity doesn’t fight back. It doesn’t have to. One has to be drawn to it in order to get into the flow of it.
When I look at the bottom line of my self evaluation, I’m blown away with what I see.
Money, fortune, fame, status, looks and positions are all materialistic values that are meaningless when the soul needs satisfaction. One’s soul is the core of ones being. Everything else is just stuff and while it’s good, it’s not what matters.

In essence, I’d rather just have good clean oxygen to breathe than all the best smelling fragrances in the world.
I now see myself as “good clean oxygen” and I like that.
Somehow, people of quality recognize other qualities and just because I’ve not been “discovered” doesn’t mean that I’m not valuable.
Stepping out of the box doesn’t necessarily mean doing so physically but realizing that a delay indeed doesn’t, mean denied.
From a relationship, career opportunities, status or contentment. How we see ourselves is very important.
I encourage anyone who’s been suppressed by your own thoughts to take some time away from everything and everybody to self evaluate, produce an emotional budget and see exactly what you’re worth. You’ll be amazed.

I recently read a quote that said; “Be yourself, everybody else is already taken”
There is someone somewhere at sometime in every way that will see your value and appreciate you. It’s OK to wait. Don’t settle.
Being alone is not a bad thing. Being with the wrong person is a bad thing. YOU WILL KNOW when it’s right and until it is, chill and love who you are, constantly evaluate yourself, grow, improve yourself for you and when the right magnet hit’s the right steal, it will stick and you’ll know.

I was once asked, why relationships fail. I responded, because of expectations not being met. Entering into an agreement/relationship looking for what something or someone can do or be for you instead of what you can do or be for something or someone is not concrete and can not weather real storms.

Today, I look in the mirror and I see value that I’ve never seen before and it has absolutely NOTHING to do with finances or status but that of integrity, motive, and that of finally being true to myself knowing that my presence, gifts, skills, talent and ability to love and be loved unconditionally is what really matters.
Today, I like me, I love me and I’m proud to know that in due season, I will move deeper into my destiny as my patience and endurance will for sure be so much worth the wait for everything promised, desired and destined.
Growth and maturity is necessary.
Today, I realize that I’ve grown, I’ve matured and I’m excited about the rest of my life being the best of my life.

~T. Bridges/03-13