The Truth About Choices, Even the Ones We Don’t Make (Inspirational Reads Chapter 8)
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Choices have consequences. So basic, and so good. I wrote some about how we remember this as a family in One Simple Way to Teach Kids That Behavior Has Consequences. This is one of those universal truths that really isn’t all that fun to think about, yet it is necessary.
Whether the choices are good ones or bad ones, there will always be consequences. Whether the consequences we experience are good or bad, there was always a choice that led to that consequence in some way.
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In chapter eight of The Best Yes, the author does a wonderful job really driving this point home when she speaks of her daughter’s discipline as an athlete. This is an excellent analogy.
However, I think what spoke to me most is something that I actually came to realize not long ago, prior to read the book. The truth is this: not choosing is also making a choice.
Maybe it would be good to read that again…
Not choosing to make a choice is also making a choice.
It is simply choosing to do nothing.
Since we are learning about choosing the Best Yes, I think we can all agree that a lack of choosing will rarely, if ever, be a Best Yes choice.
Sometimes, choices are hard. That doesn’t mean that we have to make them.
Sometimes the work is hard. That doesn’t mean that we choose not to do it.
Sometimes the fruits of making the hard choices and doing the hard stuff are a long time coming.
Sometimes, we make the right choice but aren’t really able to see the result. This doesn’t always mean that the consequences aren’t there, however. There are times that our choices simply keep things from happening, which is also a consequence, right?
Life really is a series of payoffs and trade offs. This is one of the things I remind my kids of all the time, yet, it isn’t always something I am good at remembering in my own life.
I consider a trade off to be something that is maybe not ideal, but it is the result of a choice that needed to be made. Because, like we stated, choosing to not make a choice is almost always the wrong choice.
A payoff would then be a positive result that occurred because of a decision that I made, or the hard stuff that I endured through, or even the repeated efforts that brought me nothing the 99 times I did it, at least until the 100th time rolls around.
The word that comes to mind here is perseverance. I love this word. This is also a word that I would love for others to use to describe me. It is something I would love to see in the lives of my children as well.
Choices. They are everywhere. And a wise woman doesn’t back away from making a choice at the expense of staying still.
From this point forward, let’s commit to making choices while also taking the consequences to heart. Instead of jumping in and choosing, let’s careful weigh the decision – even when we know that the consequences will make for hard times.
Let’s remember what Lysa so wisely reminds us of:
“Choices and consequences come in package deals. When we make a choice, we ignite the consequences that can come along with it.”
The thoughts shared in this post were inspired by chapter one in The Best Yes. This is a book that were are reading together as a community beginning February 22nd, 2016. We are reading just three chapters a week in this book.
Even if you are not reading along with us this time, you can still pick up your own copy and gain the wisdom you need in making wise decisions in the midst of endless demands.
The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands
Here is a bit more about our book club…
This book club is a way of encouraging others to carve out the time to read at a pace of just three chapters a week because I’ve learned that finding time to read never just happens on its own.
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday there will be blog posts here with Monday’s Inspirational Reads somewhere in the title with my reaction to each of the three chapters for the week, and then on Thursday evening at 9 pm EST we will be on Periscope discussing the chapters in an interactive format. You can find everything you need to know about Periscope by reading The Periscope Lowdown.
All you have to do is grab your book above, and you’re good to go! We’d love to have you join it, otherwise, grab your own copy and read any of the posts with Monday’s Inspirational Reads in the title and you can join in on your own time!
