Burning One's Bridges

On this Sunday morning, I have the luxury of taking my own sweet time doing some long postponed work. My editor has been chasing me for my manuscript and my books need a bit of arranging. However, my relax mood is turned around after reading some local news that can be quite disturbing for any concerned citizen in general and teacher in particular. Some how or rather the expression ‘burning one’s bridges’ cropped up from my mind when I remember once a teacher motivated me when I was young. He told me that in order to pursue a dream, one must do it whole-heartedly, with perseverance and never look back despite facing whatever setbacks or challenges. He reminded me that at any thought of turning back will disrupt my effort to move forward.

With that in mind, I searched the Wikipedia and found some interesting expressions related to ‘burning one’s bridges’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_the_bridge), which I will list below.

Burn one's bridges. The expression is derived from the idea of burning down a bridge after crossing it during a military campaign, leaving no option but to win, and motivating those who otherwise might want to retreat.

Burn one's boats, a variation of burning one's bridges. The Muslim commander Tariq bin Ziyad, upon setting foot on the Iberian Peninsula in 711, ordered his ships to be burnt, so that his men had no choice but to thrust forward and fight against their enemy.

"Break the woks and sink the boats (破釜沉舟)", an ancient Chinese saying referring to Xiang Yu's order at the Battle of Julu; by fording a river and destroying all means of re-crossing it, he committed his army to a struggle to the end with the Qin and eventually achieved victory.

Of course, history tells us that burning one’s bridges need not necessary be a good option when moving forward means doom. But, if we take these expressions to mean that we must be really serious in our effort to achieve a goal then the goal will more likely be achieved. If we are too wishy-washy, always stealing a look behind for a return path, and when the goal is not achieved, is it because the goal is, from the start unachievable, or, is it due to our half-hearted effort? To reiterate, when a goal is not achieved, is it because from the start it is not realistic and certainly unachievable, or, because the people entrusted to achieve the goal are not focused enough to do it? We must really take a hard look at this moment of time, at many urgent issues as the whole world is bracing for various challenges brought about by various economic, social and political problems hastened by globalization.