This week has been Tough Decision Week at my house.\u00a0 Our elderly dog suddenly has taken a turn for the worse.\u00a0 Her organs are shutting down, and she has stopped eating and drinking.\u00a0 Like many pet owners, we are faced with the decision of whether to let nature take its course and allow her to slowly fade away, or have her put to sleep at the vet\u2019s office.\u00a0 No route seems like a good one, and I have a splitting headache that won\u2019t go away from the stress of trying to figure out what is best for her.<\/p>\n
Most of life isn\u2019t like this week.\u00a0 Most of the time, we have easy decisions to make each day: what to make for dinner, whether to go see the latest film at the theater or wait until it comes out on DVD, etc.\u00a0 They are simple, inconsequential decisions.<\/p>\n
But sometimes in life, we have to make decisions that matter.\u00a0 These decisions not only impact our lives, but the lives of others.\u00a0 Like whether to end a relationship that isn\u2019t working\u2026 Whether to quit a comfortable job for one that is higher paying\u2026\u00a0 Whether to tell our child, \u201cNo\u201d and let them figure out how to get themselves out of a predicament\u2026\u00a0 How to best care for a loved one who is dying\u2026\u00a0 There are no straightforward answers to the big decisions that we have to make in life.<\/p>\n
However, there are certain things that we can do to reach the best solution for all.\u00a0 To that end, the following are tools to help you approach making life\u2019s toughest decisions.<\/p>\n
Listen to Your Body: <\/strong>The most important thing that we can do when faced with a tough decision is to seek direction from God.\u00a0 Very often God communicates with us through our bodies.\u00a0 Stomachaches and headaches are ways that He lets me know that things aren\u2019t right.\u00a0 Now my physical ailments aren\u2019t giving me a solution to my problem.\u00a0 However, they certainly let me know that whatever is going on isn\u2019t in keeping with God\u2019s will.\u00a0 And very often, once I make the \u201cright\u201d decision, that ache goes away.<\/p>\n Make Your Decision from a Place of Compassion: \u00a0<\/strong>Approaching decisions with compassion for everyone involved is hard.\u00a0 Typically, when faced with big decisions, we are under stress.\u00a0 Not only are we frustrated with the situation, but often we are frustrated with everyone involved, and sometimes even with the innocent individuals who are just trying to help.\u00a0 But we never can make good decisions from a place of anger or irritation.\u00a0 That is why it helps to take a break from the action.\u00a0 Sometimes we need to stop trying to figure out a solution, pause for a couple of hours, and then approach the situation with a calm frame of mind.\u00a0 When we are calm, we can think more compassionately about the situation and about everyone involved.<\/p>\n Accept that There Will Be No \u201cPerfect\u201d Answer: <\/strong>When we make big decisions, very often there is no perfect answer.\u00a0 There is no good answer for our dear dog.\u00a0 Her life is coming to an end, and regardless of what we do, we cannot change that fact.\u00a0 So when you make big decisions, don\u2019t beat yourself up.\u00a0 Some situations will never be resolved ideally for everyone, and sometimes we just have to make the best decision possible under the circumstances.<\/p>\n Pleasing Others Can\u2019t Be A Factor:<\/strong>\u00a0 There is nothing wrong with trying to please others.\u00a0 I try to do nice things for my husband and daughter all the time because I love to see them happy.\u00a0 But when we are making tough decisions, we cannot factor in our desire to please others.\u00a0 We can\u2019t stay in bad relationships for the benefit of family members or friends.\u00a0 We can\u2019t coddle our children for the momentary happiness it may give them, if coddling will prevent them from becoming capable adults.\u00a0 Not all good decisions are popular.\u00a0 Sometimes you have to be willing to make the right<\/em> decision, even when it may result in your having a low approval rating.<\/p>\n Pray:<\/strong>\u00a0 When we pray, we are better able to separate our important concerns from our selfish ones.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Because when we talk to God, we feel silly if we come to the conversation in an immature manner.\u00a0 We know what God expects from us \u2013 compassion, maturity and generosity \u2013 and coming before God with anything less makes us feel ridiculous.\u00a0 When we pray, we separate the wheat from the chaff in our thinking.\u00a0 And by praying, we are able to better approach our decisions by focusing on what is important to God instead of our own selfish needs.<\/p>\n When we make tough decisions, our character and maturity are tested.\u00a0 We learn who we really are and whether we have the courage to do what is right.\u00a0 By being aware of God\u2019s direction, and by practicing compassion and kindness when we make such decisions, hopefully we can better rise to that challenge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This week has been Tough Decision Week at my house.\u00a0 Our elderly dog suddenly has taken a turn for the worse.\u00a0 Her organs are shutting down, and she has stopped eating and drinking.\u00a0 Like many pet owners, we are faced with the decision of whether to let nature take its course and allow her to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n