
“Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by the traffic from both sides." Margaret Thatcher
As human beings we are constantly making choices. Yet have you ever thought about how you make those choices? There are so many influencing factors, such as: media stimuli, peer pressure, past programming, our current status on the scale of survival, or what we really want right now.
Recognizing that we live in a world that is always coming at us with stimuli designed to influence our thinking and behavior is the first step towards having the ability to make your own decisions. Taking control of your mind by monitoring your energy and thoughts is the second.
Just know that, indecision is a default decision to allow something or someone else to decide for us.
To decide is: 1. to come to a conclusion about something; 2.) clearly end that something in a definite or obvious way 3.) settle conclusively, while releasing all uncertainty or contention."
The prefix "de" means to remove or undo. The suffix "cide" means "a killer off" or the killing of a thing. Think pesticides or even homicide. When we decide we are actually removing past obstacles so powerfully that they cannot reappear. The possibility of doing the opposite of our goal is now dead to us. With that definition in mind, think about the last time you truly made a decision. (The answer could be never!)
Decide to completely kill off all thoughts and possibilities that are not aligned with what you want.
Deciding allows a completely new perspective to emerge that instigates the decided for experience. This takes courage.
Don’t be like the squirrel in the road who is anxiously deciding which way to go to avoid being hit by a car. As it scurries back and forward in indecision, stress and anxiety build as danger increases. It would serve the squirrel well to decide to move quickly forward or backward. Staying in the middle of the road undecided will almost certainly lead to harm.
Here are four points to help pave the wave in decision making:
1. Come to a conclusion about who you want to be - is the decision aligned with that?
2. Give yourself permission to be it. Once your energy is aligned with a decision, self permission is the only permission required.
3. Have the courage to endure criticism; be willing to take the bullets from naysayers and critics. People fear what getting it means: What will I have to do; What will people think?
4. Every decision is significant. No decision is neutral. Remember the squirrel on the road? Each decision either moves you closer to or further away from your goal. You want to cease doing things that do not take you down your personal yellow brick road.
The effect of any decision causes feelings. You can change how you feel by what you decide!
It’s just as import to know what you do not want to do as it is deciding what you do want to do. It will help to clarify your goals. Decide what is "in scope" (the things that link directly to who you want to be and do) and what is "out of scope" (past behaviors, and nice to haves) in attainment of your goals. This will help narrow your focus and prevent distractions from knocking you off your path to success. If you cannot connect the dots to your goal, then that decision is out of scope.
Listen during self reflection and respond to what you've been called to do. Decide to live your best life and leave your old self behind.
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