Monday, October 22, 2012

Stick to your Guns



When I discussed change it was under the assumption that I had gone through enough change for the time being and was entitled to a short respite, a breather from the constant upheaval that berates and assaults our every attempt to find solace in what has become an ever changing world.  I was making plans to sit and contemplate the mysteries of the universe or at least stand next to my workbench and wonder what to do next.

I should have known better.  I should have realized that life’s cruelties are inherent in our assumptions toward complacency, even if you don’t believe you had the time to be complacent.  Two weeks, that’s what I had to develop a positive mindset over the massive and traumatic decision to stay home, just enough time to feel the palliative and calming influence of having made the right decision.  And then a phone call, a simple phone call rips at the very fabric of what I thought I had; a voice asking me if I was still interested in taking the job….My heart races, my skin flashes with the telltale signs of a slight adrenaline rush and I instinctively respond in the affirmative.
I have a job! Or so I thought. 

Remember when you’re teacher used to tell you to stick with your first choice on a multiple guess test?  I guess they were right.  I should have known and stuck to my original decision, a decision that was hard fought and thoroughly contemplated, it was the right decision.  So why was this, simple, phone call so challenging?  

I’m not sure I have a specific answer but I feel as though it reached the deep parts of my inner desire to succeed, a success that is defined solely by the observations of others and not the success derived from a healthy thriving family and innate self-interest based on the principles of what really matter.
The lesson learned is a simple one but profound throughout the ages.  Stick to your guns!

3 comments:

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    1. Glad sharing in your thoughts Uncle Rick! I think that people tend to fret about making what "right" decision too often. Luckily for us, this test isn't multiple choice, even though I think you're first instinct is right :) The decisions we make simply lead down different paths, and the end result is unknown to us but that does not make one path necessarily better than another (exempting decisions such as crime), especially since God knows the end to each path and can guide us appropriately.

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    2. I agree, we do fret over the inconsequential aspects of life and often create undo apprehension over mundane and meaningless choices. It’s the important things we need to focus on. The problem is determining what is and what is not important.
      Deciding to go right or left at any given time may not have a significant impact on our future but when balanced with an overall perspective of life and its eventual end seemingly unimportant choices may take on a much more significant role. We do not have the clairvoyance of God but we do have his insights in the form of our conscience and the ability to discern right from wrong. Correct choices can be made, choices that will make our lives more fulfilling, more in-tune with the will of our creator. The freedom to choose is perhaps the greatest gift of God, choose well.

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