Decisions

[janbear]

Decisions


Nothing is more difficult & therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.
—Napoléon I


There are psychological as well as dollars-&-cents reasons for using experts to advise us before we enter new ground. Scouts who have been there before help us minimize our risk. Consultants can help us decide whether we should get involved in the first place.

Yet in personal endeavors, like the quest for self-esteem, outside input has limited value. Ultimately, the build-up or tear-down decisions are ours & ours alone. Suppose, for example, that someone puts us down & somebody else compliments us for the very same quality. Who do we believe? Or say that we have to make a decision that will have a considerable impact on our self-esteem. We consult several wise people & get different advice from each one. Again, who do we believe?

Of course we’d rather share the responsibility & have someone else bear part of the load. Perhaps we’d even like someone else to decide for us. But then we would never know the joyful confidence that comes from learning to trust our own judgment.

I can use outside input to validate my reasoning, but I must decide for myself.

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