This is an article that I received that is just very practical when having to make a quick decision.
ARE YOU MAKING PERMANENT DECISIONS ON TEMPORARY FEELINGS?
By Elias Kanaris
Ever had that super glue feeling? They say that you should be careful when you use super glue because it can permanently set in a matter of a few seconds. Yet, how many of us when using super glue to fix a broken item have made a rash decision when opening the tube with our teeth or squeezing it too hard and you end up with too much super glue and nowhere to put it…
In life, we can tend to make the equivalent of this super glue mistake by making rash decisions that we might regret.
There is a particularly unusual story that I came across recently. It turns out that a man came in to the local ER department with his eyes closed. Evidently, his wife had accused him of looking at other women and they got into a quarrel. Being the macho man that he was, he decided that he could prove that he wasn’t looking at other women by super-gluing his eyes closed.
Unfortunately, after the glue dried, he began to think it wasn’t such a great idea and got some people to drive him to the emergency room. I suspect that the doctors and nurses laughed at him for a while and then gave him Vaseline to rub in his eyes.
I pray you never get so caught up in the moment that you end up being carried away in the spirit of the thought and you follow in this man’s footsteps, doing something that you’ll instantly regret!
So, before you do anything rash, here are five simple steps you should consider before you make your decision that leaves you like concrete - all mixed up and set in your ways:
1. Step away.
Whatever you do, if you feel that you’re about to make a rash decision, take a step back and give yourself the five minute rule. Allow yourself five minutes to think through the consequences of your action to ensure that you don’t “stuff it up”.
2. Sleep on it.
If you have to make a decision and you feel that you’re running out of time and it’s getting late, ask yourself, “Does it really have to go out tonight, or can it wait till the morning?” Put the item on hold and get yourself to bed, where you can get a good night’s sleep so that you can look at it again with clear and fresh eyes in the morning.
3. Spend time in prayer.
If in doubt – pray about it – and then wait to hear that still, small voice in your head! They say that prayer is us talking to the Grand Overall Designer. And that the still, small voice is Him talking back to you!
4. Seek counsel.
Get together with your inner circle, a group of trusted advisers, and ask them to validate your decision. There is a wise ancient proverb that says, “As iron sharpens iron, so does the countenance of a good friend.” That’s exactly what your inner circle will give you with their counsel.
5. Strike a compromise.
When you are aiming for perfection, you might need to head for a middle-of-the-road compromise. Perfection may not always be attainable, but it’s worth using the old builders adage of “Measure twice, cut once!” This will save you heaps of wastage in the long term.
When rushing to make a decision, take a step back and use these five simple steps to keep you from making the wrong decision that leaves you stuck like concrete.
