In this our present world and at this point, a lot of people are only interested in instant gratification and to fulfill their own personal desires. However, what they fail to understand is that there is something called "posterity." What you do is not all about the present, you also need to have the future into perspective. That is, be the bridge. Being the bridge means, not just living for only yourself, but also intentionally creating opportunities for others, especially those coming after you. You have to understand that the beauty of the journey does not lie in arriving at it personally, but by also creating the opportunities for other to arrive there too. Be the bridge.
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It is true that every human has their own fair share of challenges to face, but there is a higher level of greatness that is unlocked when one fights, not just for their own self but for the generations coming. Take Martin Luther King jr as an example. When he had his dream and when he started his activism and crusade, it was not just about him. As a matter of fact, he was not a direct beneficiary of his activism because it postdated him. However, his actions led to a powerful revolution and from the effect of this, a lot of changes occured. In the recent past, America witnessed their first black president. Which shows that Martin Luther King jr actually succeeded in building a bridge for the future generations.
You have to understand that the entire world does not start and end with you; there are generations that are coming. It is what you do now that will determine what becomes of your future generations. When you plant trees in places for example, you may not even find shade under the trees but when the trees grow, a lot of others will find shade under them. This means that you have actually achieved something worthwhile. I know of someone where I grew up. He was blessed with finances, so instead of eating it alone, he sought to give back to them community. He built a number of rural primary and secondary schools within his community. The truth is that he will not attend the schools himself. Even his children were already passed secondary education. But what he did would create massive impact within the community and will improve lives. Thus, he served as the bridge to raise others up and make humanity better.
Note; you have to be able to look beyond just you and beyond the present. That is, imagine a future where people benefit directly or indirectly from your efforts, labour, actions, sacrifices, and wisdom. When Orville and Wilbur Wright invented the airplane, they did not know the impact that their invention will have on the field of transportation of the future generations. Their efforts revolutionized the way people travel. Even though they have been long gone, but the bridge that they built have served humanity for decades and has also heralded other inventions.
It also requires humility and courage to be the bridge. This is because it might resort to you carrying the loads of others, endure pressures, make sacrifices, and may even be offended. So you need a level of humility to be able to take all these without reservations. That is, doing them, not because you want to get some applause, but because of the satisfaction and the joy that will be derived from making a difference. Doing what is good and what will benefit the future generations even when no one is watching will definitely require humility and courage. It is true that you cannot do everything for everyone, but the ones you can do, try to create a legacy with them - think of the future in the actions of the present.
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It is also worthy to note that being the bridge or building a bridge is not necessarily about starting something from the scratch. It could be strengthening something that is already in existence. For example; you may have been blessed with something from the labour of the people who came before you - like your parents, teachers, etc. Then you can also use the same blessing to bless others that are coming after you. This is part of what building bridges entail.
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