Decisions and Choices in Life

When we are young, the choices seem to come easy, but that is because we sometimes do not have enough information to make an educated choice. As we get older, if we take time and do the research needed, we have no excuse because the education and information is easily available. Especially from the internet, which allows us to make choices and decisions with a reasonable expectation of privacy for those tough personal choices and decisions in life.
Life seems to get complicated as we get older. The only alternative to getting old is to die young, probably not a choice many of us would make.
The choices we make determines our destiny. Seems as we look back on life we find choices we would have changed if we could have known the outcome.
I think that the reason we would change our choices in life is that we ourselves are always changing, growing and our priorities change as well. Think about it, even some of the foods we enjoy change for some reason during our journey through life. Nothing seems to stay the same. Many of us aren’t particularly fond of change, but it happens.

Sometimes we allow others to make or influence our choices or decisions because we don’t want the responsibilites. That’s right, so we can blame someone else when things go wrong. The old “Pass the Buck” theory.
You would think we as adults, we would not do this, as it imitates children that get into trouble saying “He Made Me Do it” or “He Told Me To Do It”.
Interestingly enough, many adults do not grow out of the blaming something or someone for their choices and decisions. You would think we had more Pride than that, as grown adults.
Sometimes we allow others to make our choices for us. (Example) Like when we allow our government to make decisions for us, because we don’t think we have time to think about the real problems we need to solve or we just want someone else to make the decisions so we can blame them for indecision or wrong choices.
When, “We the People“, allow our government to make decisions, unchecked, then we seem to blame our government when things go wrong. Why would we allow the government to make our personal choices anyway? It allows the government to become our Masters instead of the Employees they should be for the people.
Could be that the adults “We the People“, are just plain lazy and do not want to take responsibility.
In actuality, it is our responsibility to make sure our government doesn’t start making all our decisions and choices for us. This is why our Constitution was created, to Prevent Tyranny!
Now there is another famous problem with choices and decision making, that is procrastination. It seems the we all, including myself, are very capable at procrastinating. Some times this presents more problems or the problem that needs solving, compounds, because we didn’t make a quick decision to rectify or correct the situation.
Take the Risk
Life is like a road. There are long and short roads; smooth and rocky roads; crooked and straight paths. In our life, many roads will come our way as we journey through life. There are roads that lead to a life of single blessedness, marriage, and religious vocation. There are also roads that lead to fame and fortune on one hand, or isolation and poverty on the other. There are roads that lead to happiness, as there are roads leading to sadness. Roads leading towards victory, success, jubilation and roads leading to defeat and disappointment.
• Just like any road, there are corners, detours, and crossroads in life.
• Perhaps the most bewildered road that you will encounter, is a crossroad.
• With four roads to choose from and with limited knowledge, which way should you go?
• Which road will you take? Which Road is the Best Road for you?
• What is the guarantee that we would choose the right one along the way?
• Will you pick any road, or just stay where you are: in front of a crossroad?
You Must Make the Decision
You must make the decision, do not allow others to control your life.
You cannot find the confidence to decide if you know very little about the situation you are faced with.
Just like any person in leadership, head of household or individual…
You should always ask the 5 W’s ; What, Who, When, Where, and Why.
The 5 W’s
• What is the situation?
• Who are the people involved?
• When did this happen?
• Where is this leading?
• Why are you in this situation?
This is important information that could lead to a very wise decision or choice. The 5 W’s are just some of the possible questions to ask to learn more about your situation. Frequently and most often, the reason for indecision is the lack of information about a situation which sometimes leads to procrastination.
Keep in mind that, for every action taken, there is always a reaction, whether you see it or not.
There are no guarantees.
Since life offers no guarantees, you will never know that your decision would be wrong or right, until you have made it. So you may as well take the risk and make the decision. It is definitely better than procrastination.
Although it is true that one wrong turn could get you lost, it could also be that such a turn could be an opportunity for an adventure, and open more roads to success. It is all a matter of perspective. You have the choice between being a lost traveller or an accidental tourist of life. Take caution that you do not make decisions by lack of order or planning.
You do not really know where a road will lead you until you take it. There are no guarantees. This is one of the most important things you need to realize about life and the choices you need to make. Nobody said that choosing to do the right thing all the time would always lead you to happiness.
Loving someone with all your heart does not guarantee that it will be returned. Gaining fame and fortune does not guarantee happiness. Accepting a good word from an influential superior to cut your trip short up the career ladder is not always bad, especially if you are highly qualified and competent.
There are too many possible outcomes, which you really cannot control. The only thing you have power over is the decisions that you will make, and how you will act and react to different situations.
To minimize your failure in decision making, always educate yourself with all the options and information you can gather. Still, this does not prevent all failure or other undesired outcomes in decision making. Sometimes experience and the “School of Hard Knocks” is our best teacher. Remember, get as much information as you can about your situation.
Identify and create options.
• What options do the situation give you?
• Sometimes the options are few, but sometimes they are numerous.
• What do you do when you think that the situation offers no options? This is the time that you create your own.
• Make your creative mind work.
• From the most simplistic to the most complicated, entertain all ideas.
• Do not shoot anything down when an idea comes to mind.
• Sometimes the most outrageous idea could prove to be the right one in the end.
• You can ask a friend to help you identify options and even make more options if you encounter some difficulty.
• Make sure that you make the decision depending on yourself in the end.
Weigh the Pros and Cons of Every Option.
Assess each option by looking at the advantages and disadvantages it offers you. In this way, you get more insights about the consequences of such an option.
Trust yourself to make that decision then, make the decision.
Now that you have assessed all your options, it is now time to trust yourself. Remember that there are no guarantees and wrong decisions are always at hindsight. So choose, decide, and believe that you are choosing the best option at this point in time with the information you have compiled.
Now that you have made a decision, be ready to face its consequence: good and bad.
It may take you to success or present more problems. But the important thing is that you have chosen to live your life instead of remaining a bystander or a passive audience to your own life. Whether it is the right decision or not, only time can tell.
Do not regret making a choice or decision, whatever the outcome. Learn from it!
Get up! Brush off the dirt and dust and go again. Keep in mind that you always have the chance to make better decisions in the future.
Again, it seems our Best Teachers are Experience and the “School of Hard Knocks“.
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Jim Bonham – Executive Director
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