A friend once told me that anytime her and her husband drove by someone who was homeless he would make the statement, “one bad decision and that could be me.”  This statement has always stuck with me, but I think due to the amount of caring family I have, it is really hard for me to truly relate to the statement.

But after seeing the devastation that can be caused by wrong decisions, I came up with a slightly different version of his statement, “We are all just one bad decision away from altering the course of our lives forever.”  The affair ending a marriage, started as a decision.  The embezzlement ending with jail time, started as a decision.  The car wreck costing a young child their life, started as a decision to drink and drive, or text and drive.

Strata Leadership defines decisiveness as the ability to process information and finalize difficult decisions.  Life is full of decisions we make every day, throughout the day, some big and some small.

Big decisions often require research and the gathering of information, comparison of alternatives, and seeking the opinions of experts or input from others.  The question is, do we apply the same concepts of decisiveness to decisions that determine who we are and who we want to be?  It is not uncommon for companies to have core values and guiding principles.  It can be just as beneficial to establish personal core values to guide our daily decisions.  At the beginning of this year, I was contemplating whether or not I was going to make any New Year’s Resolutions, knowing that more than likely I would not end up keeping them.  As I was contemplating what New Year’s Resolutions I might make, I had two words come to mind, Joy and Perseverance.  And not knowing at that time what the year was going to bring, those two words became guiding principles for me.

Taking the time to establish personal core values can guide our decisiveness at critical junctions in our lives, or just serve as a reminder during the normal everyday decisions of life.

If we make the decision to not flirt with the opposite sex, we will protect ourselves and others from the heartbreak of an affair.  If we make the decision to not even take a pen from our employer, we will protect ourselves from the temptation to take something of greater value that is not ours.  If we make the decision to not drive even after one drink, regardless of the legal limit, or not pick up our phone while driving, we will protect ourselves and others from the consequences of what could occur.

As you pass by one of the character banners this month, use it as a reminder to think about decisiveness.  But don’t just think about the best method of making difficult decisions.  Also think about being decisive in establishing what is important to you and what guides you to make better life decisions.

Originally published in the Owasso Reporter July 2018