Experience is a great way to learn the lessons of life that help invite progression to be a part. I can't begin to calculate in the forty years of life, how many different decisions I've had to make. Those of you who are older than I have that many more. In the decision-making process, there are times when confusion dominates and makes the process more difficult.
I want to discuss two aspects that have helped me in decreasing the confusion that I feel.
First. Everything in life has something to do with somebody else. During a tough time, have you found yourself thinking about how a particular decision will benefit you? Our weak human minds tend to think that way. I am a firm believer in creating a mechanism in yourself that automatically switches to a different way of thinking and thinks of others before yourself. Now some of you are thinking, "What, I can't ever do anything that I want to do?" No, that is not what I'm saying. If you want a true compromise to exist, then 'I' cannot be anywhere in your thinking. If it is, then there is an increased probability that problems will eventually creep in.
Second. Communicate, communicate, and then do it some more. Before you roll your eyes, I want you to think about a time when proper communication helped to quickly resolve a situation that would have otherwise taken a very long time and a lot of expended energy.
When Becky and I were quite sure that we were done having children after Brady, which is kid #3. We wrestled with the finality that would come if we moved forward with a permanent surgical procedure. Becky's health wasn't the best and we had three wonderful children that we adored. We talked about it constantly but seemed convinced that three was the magic number for our family. No matter how much we talked, the topic never left our minds. Now keep in mind that we were young and the older we have become the easier it is to see that when you can't stop thinking about something, it normally means that the decision has some 'holes' in it. It wasn't until we enhanced our circle of communication and included our Heavenly Father in it, that we realized that there was another baby that would come to our family. We are richly blessed to have Danny as our last child and what a joy he is!
Becky and I humbled ourselves enough to think of others that would be effected outside of just her and I. We communicated extensively over this important decision that pertained to our family. In the end, we were blessed abundantly. There are other things that you can do but the implentation of these two things has helped me many times over.
Personal experience is invaluable.
