Moments of Decision

Yes, I have OFTEN wanted to be guided by divine intervention. I just didn't want it to come from God!

Hoping for a bronze bullet or wand from the willows or secrets from the sublime, I have wanted an inside track into the magical moments of Millions! If the 8-ball could deliver the answer through a floating die cast behind a crystal window, I would pick it up right now. Just don't let anyone catch me using it.

Decisions must be made. Should I like Curly or Moe? Eat now or later? Rent or buy? Take a risk or stay safe? That's actually the bottom line - do I take the risk?

Moments of decision all come down to, is it the right answer? And what if it isn't? Will others make me feel bad?
Will I make me feel bad?
Can I handle it?

Today someone I was with shared he is at a turning point. For guidance he asked me, What do you think?

Granted, it's good to get perspective from neutral points of view. And when asked, I work hard to stay objective. This means keeping in mind what is important to them and measuring choices against that. All from my perspective.

What he asked me is a step better than "God, please make the 8-ball accurate." In that case, the one praying is actually saying I don't care what you think - make sure the other source is giving me good wisdom.

Looking a bit deeper at this, we see something more poignant suggested:

I don't care what I think. What do you think.

My friend really does care what he thinks. He cares so much he wants to be validated without analyzing the information for himself. He has been side-stepping responsibility. In essence, Swinging for the Fence, without approaching the plate. He talks a good talk but has taken little action toward the result.

Today my friend, who is very similar to me in some areas of my life, made the decision to stay the course as opposed to switching to Plan B. Period. And in that moment of decision he picked up the bat. Now that he is putting it on his shoulder, he is heading to the "whole". In the past, he only picked it up moments before he was "up".
There is a sequence he will follow to stay responsible.

In the hole, on deck, batter up. Each phase brings with it a discipline, strategy and willingness to do what it takes. All this was being put off before he made the decision to commit to his plan. There was no "in the hole" work to get himself in the mindset of managing his focus and remembering his value. There was no "on deck" work to review the lay of the land and find the key signals to observe. And there was no "up" time to translate anxiety into excitement, concentration and action.

Moments of Decision ready us for the work ahead. Putting them off wastes everything, especially the base hit, let alone the ability to assist another runner's advancement. Who is dependent on you? What are you willing to do about it? How will you demonstrate this right now? And finally, what base will it get you to?