I grew up in a home where we had three square meals a day. My mother was a great cook and she did not favor one meal over another. Each day began with a hearty breakfast , eggs, grist, bacon or sausage and biscuits. Lunch was a complete meal with meat, bread, potatoes or rice and a green vegetable or two. Dinner— we called it supper— was another full course meal plus dessert. It wasn't until I went away to college and ate with some of my married friends that I discovered not everyone ate like my family. Granted, I still don't believe a salad, a few crackers and a glass of tea is a fitting description of lunch or dinner or supper.
When I travel I look for good places to eat. A Cracker Barrel restaurant is a good place to eat, breakfast, lunch or dinner, any day of the week. I have eaten at 118 individual Cracker Barrels. The food is excellent. The dining experience predictable. The geographical location doesn't matter. The country ham in Ocala, Florida and the country ham served in Lebanon, Tennessee is the same great way to begin the day. When I travel and it gets to be meal time, the decision where to eat is easier than what to eat.
Some decisions are easy and obvious. Or, are they? It's easy to make spur of the moment decisions without giving thought to the consequences. But, think about it. When we say, "yes", we preclude any action that results from saying, "no." By saying, "I will," I eliminate the opportunity to be not involved.
For most people the decision to have or not have a cup of coffee in the morning is obvious; a no brainer. I know people that are not "awake" until they have their first cup of coffee. Other acquaintances prefer a cola, hot chocolate or tea. To report for work each day is also basically an easy call as is going home at quitting time.
We can improve our decision making process and our chances for success by concentrating on the choices we have to select from. Sometimes we have more choices than we think. Some choices may not be obvious. To improve your decision making ability you want to:
1. Get all the facts surrounding the problem or opportunity
2. Seek counsel from knowledgeable and trusted sources
3. Weigh short and long-term implications
4. Recognize the effect of the decision on others, if any
5. Know the cost and evaluate if you are prepared to pay the price of your decision.
We waste more time and energy worrying about the outcomes of decisions than do all of the other creatures of the earth. Like creative thinking, decision making is reserved for homo sapiens. Other creatures just live. I suppose we could really live and live longer if we quit worrying about the outcomes of our decisions and spent more time making and executing better choices. When confronting a decision, keep in mind that the word "decision" is only a noun. Its verb form is "decide." Your actions settle the issue.
I find the four steps of success, credited to H. L. Hunt, to be helpful in making wise choices:
1. Decide what you want
2. Decide what you are willing to exchange for it
3. Establish your priorities
4. Go to work
Ralph Waldo Emerson would agree that step number one is the most important and most difficult for most people. But as Emerson wrote, "Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen." While waiting for the help from the universe, you will find the help comes quicker when you are busy working on your plan.
It doesn't matter where you are in the game of life, young, middle age or senior citizen, you must make choices every day. To not make a choice is in itself a choice and indicates a lack of personal responsibility. Like it or not, we are accountable for our decisions.
Three Point Success Summation
Hog Thought: Someone has written, "When one bases his life on principle, 99 percent of his decisions are already made." We know that our core values or governing principles drive our actions therefore, people should invest time in analyzing their basic values. If you find yourself making poor decisions, you may want to examine your basic values. If you don't like what you find, it is never too late to replace ineffective values with new values and guiding principles that are valuable to you. It is only old dogs that can't learn new tricks.
Hog Quote: "It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are." — Roy Disney
Hog Action: Decide wisely. The decisions you make not only impact your future, but the future of others.
When I travel I look for good places to eat. A Cracker Barrel restaurant is a good place to eat, breakfast, lunch or dinner, any day of the week. I have eaten at 118 individual Cracker Barrels. The food is excellent. The dining experience predictable. The geographical location doesn't matter. The country ham in Ocala, Florida and the country ham served in Lebanon, Tennessee is the same great way to begin the day. When I travel and it gets to be meal time, the decision where to eat is easier than what to eat.
Some decisions are easy and obvious. Or, are they? It's easy to make spur of the moment decisions without giving thought to the consequences. But, think about it. When we say, "yes", we preclude any action that results from saying, "no." By saying, "I will," I eliminate the opportunity to be not involved.
For most people the decision to have or not have a cup of coffee in the morning is obvious; a no brainer. I know people that are not "awake" until they have their first cup of coffee. Other acquaintances prefer a cola, hot chocolate or tea. To report for work each day is also basically an easy call as is going home at quitting time.
We can improve our decision making process and our chances for success by concentrating on the choices we have to select from. Sometimes we have more choices than we think. Some choices may not be obvious. To improve your decision making ability you want to:
1. Get all the facts surrounding the problem or opportunity
2. Seek counsel from knowledgeable and trusted sources
3. Weigh short and long-term implications
4. Recognize the effect of the decision on others, if any
5. Know the cost and evaluate if you are prepared to pay the price of your decision.
We waste more time and energy worrying about the outcomes of decisions than do all of the other creatures of the earth. Like creative thinking, decision making is reserved for homo sapiens. Other creatures just live. I suppose we could really live and live longer if we quit worrying about the outcomes of our decisions and spent more time making and executing better choices. When confronting a decision, keep in mind that the word "decision" is only a noun. Its verb form is "decide." Your actions settle the issue.
I find the four steps of success, credited to H. L. Hunt, to be helpful in making wise choices:
1. Decide what you want
2. Decide what you are willing to exchange for it
3. Establish your priorities
4. Go to work
Ralph Waldo Emerson would agree that step number one is the most important and most difficult for most people. But as Emerson wrote, "Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen." While waiting for the help from the universe, you will find the help comes quicker when you are busy working on your plan.
It doesn't matter where you are in the game of life, young, middle age or senior citizen, you must make choices every day. To not make a choice is in itself a choice and indicates a lack of personal responsibility. Like it or not, we are accountable for our decisions.
Three Point Success Summation
Hog Thought: Someone has written, "When one bases his life on principle, 99 percent of his decisions are already made." We know that our core values or governing principles drive our actions therefore, people should invest time in analyzing their basic values. If you find yourself making poor decisions, you may want to examine your basic values. If you don't like what you find, it is never too late to replace ineffective values with new values and guiding principles that are valuable to you. It is only old dogs that can't learn new tricks.
Hog Quote: "It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are." — Roy Disney
Hog Action: Decide wisely. The decisions you make not only impact your future, but the future of others.
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