I Just Had To!

Decisions, decisions! We all have to make decisions. From childhood on we find ourselves making decisions. Along the way, we have made some really bad decisions, but we have also made some really great decisions. It is interesting to make decisions for yourself yet there are other people that want to make decisions for you. I am not talking about someone in your household making the decision about dinner because they chose to cook, or the decisions others make when they want to give you a gift but the decisions that can potentially change the outcome that you are expecting.

Just the other day I was chatting with a friend about a decision that I needed to make for my own personal reasons. As I began to weigh the pros and cons, it was looking really grim because the cons seemed to outweigh the pros. As I was laser focused on making my final decision, the pressures of hearing other people’s voices in my head and allowing my mind to run wild and arriving at some of the most overwhelming thoughts of what my decision could lead to, I almost crumbled. Just in that split second, I realized that I had to make up my mind. Making up my mind meant that I would be at peace with my decision and that it would be best based upon my own insight and expected outcomes. Guess what; the entire list of cons was voided by the number one contender on the pro list; PEACE! When I realized that I could not afford to let the longer list of cons to be a stronger influence over my peace, it was then and only then, that I realized – I JUST HAD TO! I had to do the right thing for me. I had to hold on to my self-worth. I just had to hold on to my dignity. I just had to remember that I am my top priority. That does not make me selfish, but it makes me remember that my self-care is my responsibility and my priority.

The next time you are wrestling with a decision that will impact your life, pause, and think about what is best for you without added the weight and pressure from external sources. After you make your final decision, and you are at peace then you can settle yourself. When other people come along and ask you why you made the decision that you made, simply reply with; I JUST HAD TO!