Travis Bridges

We all equally get 24 hours in a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and so on. We are born with certain types of gifts, we develop certain skills/talent and we possess and develop certain personality traits that shape our lives. There’s a thin line between gifts, skills talent and traits but they can all be developed according to how we nurture them. These aspects affect society in different ways.
* To a degree, we all have certain levels of athleticism. Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, The Williams sisters, Nancy Kerrigan, Muhammad Ali, and Michael Phelps all developed their talents to what we know as champions in their fields.
Gifts, skills and talent have similarities while traits are in a class of their own, character traits in particular. One can be born with natural gifts, possess natural talent and can even sharpen skills to high levels of achievement. However, traits are usually influences caused by childhood experiences, cultural backgrounds, lifestyles and life experiences in general. Traits tend to have either a possitive or negative affect in or on society starting with those closest to us professionally and personally. Of All personality or character traits, NARCISSISM ranks the highest in negativity on those affected. An untreated or undiscovered narcissistic character trait can lead to destruction of one’s sanity for the narcissist and/or those affected. It is possible that damaged victims and/or perpetrators can or cannot fully recover.
However, just as one can recover from victimization of narcissism, narcissist themselves do have hope for recovery. *The will to recognize the affects against a victim is a start. The willingness to examine ones personal actions is also a start. The sincerity to apologize is another starting point and the desire to change is without a doubt, critical. However, above all, for all parties, the ability to forgive, trust again, and salvage worthwhile relationships is how healing is most effective. Perpetrators and victims play critical roles in moving forward. Ultimately, when both sides can recognize growth, restoration is inevitable. I will dedicate the remaining portion of my life to helping restore the dark affects this dreadful condition robs from humanity, healing myself, and being available to those I personally affected most. I’M SORRY!

~T. Bridges, 2019