Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Don't Look Now

Has anyone ever said, "don't look now"? What's your first response? Maybe you have more self control than I do, but my first response is always to look. Even though I was told not to, I still do it instinctively. I find it interesting that my instincts cause me to go against the grain and defy the request not to look. On the other hand, there have been times I really should have waited to look.

This response got me thinking about the way we make decisions. I believe that each of us has a risk taker in us and this response to "don't look now" is a healthy behavior in decision making. The response that looks is the one that overcomes obstacles, that embarks on new territory and produces results you've otherwise thought not possible. On the other hand, there's something to say about the warning we're given when told "don't look now". In our decision making there's also times to wait. We'll still see the same thing we've been waiting to see, but we need to go towards it with patience.

Some things that help me decide if I should go for it or wait are:

PEOPLE | it's always good to bounce big ideas off of people close enough in your life to not just tell you what you want to hear. Be careful though to not give ear to those who are always negative about your dreams. John Maxwell says there are "fire starters", and "fire extinguishers" in our lives. Negativity kills. Someone can help you see the negative side and still encourage you without being negative.

PRAYER | My pastor, Kerry Shook always says "lead from your knees". Every day decisions, great or small, should be given prayerful consideration.

INSTINCTS | I believe in following instincts. If at the end of the day you've talked to people, prayed about it and still don't know for sure – just go with your first instincts. The best, not the worst, thing that can happen is you'll learn from trying.