Made a Decision…

C.S. Lewis wrote, “Crying is all right in its way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later, and then you still have to decide what to do.”

Ah, the anguish of indecision. There are worse challenges, yet there is nothing like having to make a decision.

I once heard a speaker share, “If you cannot make up your mind whether to get a haircut or not and then you end up staying home due to indecision, well you just made the decision not to get your hair cut.” Sounds simple enough, but listening to this man made me shift in my seat uncomfortably as I imagined trying to make that very decision.  I still feel a little twitch as I am typing this.

I am well-known for my indecisiveness and if my husband wants any peace of mind, he knows it is best NOT to ask me where we should go to dinner. I once stayed up for hours trying to decide where the Christmas tree was going to go now that we had a new sofa. This was in the month of June…

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Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. – Alcoholics Anonymous

Of course, I have also had to make tremendously difficult, life changing decisions. Like putting down the drug and drink which helped me eventually make a decision to leave an abusive relationship, let go of a toxic friend, and move on from a long-standing employment status that no longer worked for either party.

The abusive relationship was the most difficult if you can imagine. I changed my mind but thankfully he made it easy to change my mind again and permanently. In the end, it was best for all of us. It was one of the greatest decisions I ever made. From there on out, I was looking for decisions to make: Angora or Cashmere? Highlights or my natural color? Red dress or Blue dress? Heels or Flats?

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Okay, I’m over it now and can honestly admit that I am still indecisive over the little things. But indecisiveness does not paralyze me anymore. How does one let go of this type of stagnation?

• Make the decision to turn it over to your God.
• Have a mentor/counselor/clergy – anyone you can trust wholeheartedly to discuss your choices with. Always have a good support group of people whether family or friends or both.
• Trust your gut instinct. I cannot say this enough…TRUST YOUR GUT.
• Don’t over think.  Have you ever heard of Analysis-Paralysis? I. Have. Lived. It.
• Always check your motives. This is another form of a gut check.
• Know your values.  This is important. Your decisions should always align with your values – again gut check.
• When  you make this decision – Stick to it.

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“It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires a great deal of strength to decide what to do.”
― Elbert Hubbard

After the decision has been made, recognize the courage and strength it took to accomplish this…and I am talking about the little decisions as well as the big ones. Sometimes it takes baby steps and when the baby takes a step, we celebrate. We don’t say “Baby, I will be impressed when you walk a mile”…

For you more decision-challenged people, I recommend keeping a decision journal. Really. It is always good to look back on these victories. Relish them. Remind yourself that you can do this decision-making-thing.

So I ask you to please join me in making a decision to…Have a Blissful Day!

Stay Blissful My Friends – E

If you liked this,  check out: Let Go, Keep Going, or Start Over