Decisions
One of the things we learn as children is the importance of making good decisions. Every decision we ever make is a choice we make: what colour suit to wear, which courses to choose at university, which job offer to accept, which country to visit. We tell our kids to choose good friends, to study instead of fooling around, to be hard-working and not lazy.
Sometimes a decision we make can be life-changing. Sometimes it can dictate what your future looks like. Often, decisions have lasting consequences. Sometimes you’ll make a decision in a second. Other times you’ll mull over things for days even though deep down you know the right thing to do.
The trick is to listen to yourself. Work hard at paying attention to the little things in your life, even unimportant ones. If you learn how to read yourself with the little things, you’ll know how to listen when big decisions come along. Sometimes, you get a nagging feeling that doesn’t go away. Sometimes you need to stew on it awhile, even if you already know what you’ll do in the end.
Subconsciously, we all know what’s best for us, most times. We know the direction we’re supposed to be going in. We just need to listen and be willing to accept what we know to be true, without fighting it or deliberately doing the opposite.
Years ago, when a close friend was sick and losing her will to fight, I dropped everything – work, commitments and obligations, to fly several hours to be with her. I left my small kids behind, trusting that my husband would care well for them. He quipped, comfortingly, but most alarmingly, at the time: “If they don’t eat or don’t bathe for a day, they’ll still be fine and the world won’t end.” Of course, I vehemently disagreed with him, wondering if I was doing the right thing by going. But in the end, I chose to go to my friend who needed me.
She perked up when she saw me, and vowed to make my trip worthwhile. She recovered nicely and, since then, has paid it forward many times.
It was a good decision!
Email me: bernadette@gogettercoaching.com .