Dear Reader:
Did you ever wonder “What were they thinking?”
As a counselor and a manager, I have had a few opportunities to ponder over this. It intrigues me to try to find the thread of logic that brings someone to a decision which is detrimental to themselves or others. This can lead to anger, hurt, anxiety or other uncomfortable emotions to deal with.
There are several processes that I’ve found helpful and I’d like to share with you.
- You have control of only one person… that’s yourself. Letting go of trying to control someone else’s decisions and the outcomes can be very frightening, but liberating. Think about how much more energy you can access doing something this is important to you.
- Other approaches to decisions create opportunities. Frequently, someone who thinks very differently than you do adds more value to a process. have you ever solved a math problem one way and someone else solved it a completely different way? And you both got the answer right? Honor the different thinking processes that others bring to the table.
- We all believe we’re right. Very few people make decisions thinking, “I’m going to make the worst decision I can think of.” Most of us make what we believe to be the best decision given the circumstances. When you can ask questions around why someone thinks their idea is good can give insight.
- Good things come from bad situations. Over and over again, you see great people developed through truly terrible situations. If decisions lead to terrible outcomes, it can work a tremendous positive change in the world.
Experiencing the impact of bad decisions can be devastating. Consider the mother of a child killed by a drunk driver or in fact, the drunk driver who has to live with the results of their own bad decision. Practicing these thought techniques on smaller scale problems can strengthen your ability to respond to larger problems without becoming focused on anger and blame.
If you would like to share an experience, please comment on this blog; I’d love to hear from you. If you would like assistance in managing this or other emotional challenges, please contact our offices at 850-226-8585 or visit our website at www.SoundsideWellness.com.
Thank you for being exactly who you were meant to be and come back and visit my blog again!
~Allison
