“I’m divorcing my second wife,” a friend told me recently. Before I could even respond, he said sorrowfully, “You know what Dr. Ross? I should never have divorced my first one.”
In the area of bad decisions, my friend is not alone. Several years ago my wife and I were living in a city we didn’t like, doing a job we despised, in the company of people we didn’t enjoy. Many times during the three long years we were there my wife would whimper, “How did we ever end up here?”
When she threatened to go to the local truck stop and hitch a ride with any trucker going either east or west, I realized it was time to figure out how to get out of town. So we started making decisions that eventually got us back to sanity, back to God’s country, back to Colorado. Now she tells me she will live with me anywhere in the world as long as it’s in Colorado.
You make a few good decisions and good things happen. Make some bad ones and who knows what sorry town or situation you’ll end up in?
Life, it appears, is little more than a series of decisions. And it all started in the Garden of Eden when Eve asked Adam, “Hey big boy, you wanna bite of this?” The rest is history. Do you see the long-term impact one bad decision can make?
Here is a reality check for you: You are who you are today because of the decisions you made in the past; and who you will be tomorrow will be determined by the decisions you make today.
So how good are you at making right decisions? If you are normal you have made your quota of both good and bad decisions. Some decisions you thought were good when you made them, and some you knew were wrong and you made them anyway, and a few that seemed wrong turned out right. Who’s to know?
Don’t you wish that warning lights would flash when you are about to make a bad choice or that trumpets would sound when you’re about to decide right? Unfortunately life isn’t like that. You have to make decisions day-by-day, and even moment-by-moment and hope that ultimately the good ones outnumber the bad.
Here are two observations concerning decision making that I think are worthy of your consideration:
First of all, good decisions are the result of thoughtful deliberation spiced with the advice of wise counselors. Give emotion, reason, wise counsel and sufficient time equal opportunity to guide you in your decision making process.
Second, good decisions give you the confidence to make more good decisions. If you’re on a downward spiral because of bad decisions, start by making a few good small decisions and increase your confidence until you are ready to take on the looming, life-changing choices that will elevate you two a whole new level of living.
It’s one of the most import skills you’ll ever learn because your destiny is determined one small decision at a time.
You’re “Kick in the pants” for this week is this: Go a day and make good decisions, then a week, then a month. In the process you develop valuable decision making skills and you will blossom!
