It’s easy to do nothing but complain about our circumstances.
Sometimes it feels good to vent, but it’s rarely productive.
My guest today, Brad Volz, shares why it’s more effective to implement choice with action to change circumstances.
Choice has been on my mind recently.
I’ve struggled with decision for years. Too often under pressure, I opt for doing nothing. As you can imagine, this hasn’t led to the best results! The most painful was watching my life savings disappear as my stocks lost value and I did nothing. Unfortunately, I’ve done this several times with my stocks and other areas of my life.
But in the last 2 years, I’ve made great progress and share insights from the journey on my blog. At first, simply feeling better was my goal, now I aim to thrive. I’m not there yet, but I have hope and a glimmer of faith.
“Imperfect action beats perfect inaction every time.” – Harry Truman
Recently, I started a class on living fully that is helping me with my decision challenges. We’ve been working on a decision matrix that identifies areas of our life that may be out of balance, stressing or challenging. Then using a clever matrix of variables that impact our choices, we are evaluating each area to decide if we want to keep doing the item, remove it from our life, or modify it in some way.
The new insight for me has been to evaluate each choice in a systematic way that honors my body wisdom, feelings, thoughts and heart, all together. Not strictly one or two aspects as many of us are apt to do.
The other key insight is how often that I opt for doing nothing. Looking back, I can certainly see the impact. Creating goals and intentions is great, but unless we translate those into action, then our dreams, goals and intentions wither away like neglected plants. We must water them with love, plant them with action and grow them with continued care, commitment and action.
Choice and action must be used together in order to create real change.
Too often in personal development circles, we are told to change our thoughts or feelings and everything will change. That may be true when applied with great conviction or faith. But the average person (myself included) needs to honor our dreams and goals with actions, not just good thoughts and intentions.
Choice is the mental component. Positive feelings are the energy or motivation. Having a great why is a powerful motivator to help keep us moving toward our dreams. And finally, action is the physical component that anchors our dreams and spirit in the world. Choosing love is one of the most powerful choices we can make. If we are unsure about a choice, try to weigh it in your heart or simply ask what would love do?
Choosing from reaction and fear often lead to poor results, whereas choosing from love leads to positive results and growth.
Now it’s time for me to take action.
I’ve filled out my decision matrix and identified some areas in my life that I want to modify or remove. Next up, action! The quote from Harry Truman speaks to the fact that it is much easier to modify our life from a place of movement or momentum, rather than a dead stop. Think about canoeing or driving and you’ll understand immediately. Steering is WAY easier when we are moving! Choice is steering, action is flow or momentum.
Take charge of your life with choice and action working together.
Blessings, Brad
How about you? How have you combined choice with action?
Brad is a peacemaker, muse, writer, marketer, photographer, and connector. He’s learning to be more proactive in life using the power of positive attitude, focus and action. When not writing, he enjoys learning, keeping healthy, traveling and spending time in nature. Connect with Brad on: Facebook, Google+, or his blog “Writing to Freedom”.
Oct 09, 2013 @ 13:43:27
Aug 31, 2013 @ 02:59:55
Brad, this is insightful and meaningful. Choice is the mental component yes… but then some (we need). Actually you remind me of my favourite Bruce Lee quote, “Knowing is not enough, we must apply; Willing is not enough, we must do” – http://wordsfallfrommyeyes.wordpress.com/2013/07/23/the-escape-part-xiv-knowing-is-not-enough-we-must-apply/
Great post.
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Aug 15, 2013 @ 02:41:20
Hi Brad, brilliant philosophy! And something that a lot of people struggle with, myself and writing partner/daughter included. We love to procrastinate. Putting off what we could do today, for tomorrow. Laziness of the body refusing to become subject to our mind. LOL~ We find that over committing adds to this dilemma. Last New Years we tried to make a committment to finish the things we’ve started rather than adding more things to our list. But perhaps now, I will approach these things differently. Doing as you said and weighing the importance of each as to how they will fit in our lives and add too or take from. Most definitely a relatable post to most anyone out there in today’s hectic world of multi-tasking! Thank you for your insight.
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Aug 15, 2013 @ 11:35:10
Thank you so much for your compliments and reflections Inion. Yes, it is very easy to get overloaded, especially when we don’t have a set of priorities. As I’m getting better about knowing what’s important and priority in my life, the decisions are easier. Pick that which moves you toward your dreams, goals, values and joy! Thanks for your kindness. Brad
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Aug 12, 2013 @ 19:03:39
Negative thoughts can also be the energy or motivation for decision making. Something happened when my children were young that made me angry. My first inclination was to do nothing more than comfort them, then I realized that’s what my mother had done and it was the main source of a deep well of anger inside of me. Taking the energy from that anger and using it positively to change what had happened to my children was a turning point in my life. I was amazed at the change I was able to initiate and that experience has allowed me to speak up and make difficult changes since then.
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Aug 13, 2013 @ 10:05:52
HI Esther,
Wonderful insight! I agree and have written about Pain as Motivation. Sometimes pain or anger are the fuel or call to action. Congrats on making an empoering decision to use the anger to take proactive action. Blessings, Brad
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Aug 12, 2013 @ 08:59:49
Living fully – two very important words, but often hard to do. I’ve lost myself so many times in life and not lived fully. Abusive relationships, betrayal by “friends” and overwhelming grief from the death of my mom caused me to pull into myself at different times and close myself off from the world. I can’t do this as much now with 2 kids, but they were here when my mom died and I still did it. I wasn’t living, I was merely existing. This was not helping me and definitely was hurting them. It was not something my mom would have wanted for me. Living fully is my way of saying you can’t hurt me anymore to those who have and also an important way of honoring my mom and keeping her memory alive. Great topic. Thanks.
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Aug 12, 2013 @ 14:31:52
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for reading and commenting. Living fully has been a challenge for me too. We, me too, do the best we can, a day and a step at a time. It sounds like you’ve done a good job of overcoming your circumstances to live as fully as you can. Congratulations of moving toward living fully. Brad
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Aug 11, 2013 @ 09:21:29
Reblogged this on writing to freedom and commented:
My guest post for Denise Hisey at inspired2ignite. I hope you enjoy my musings on choice and action. Blessings, Brad
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Aug 11, 2013 @ 05:13:21
I think any momentum, even in the wrong direction, is better than doing nothing. Sure, some of my decisions have been the wrong direction, but at least I’m moving – and forward most of the time! Good article, Brad.
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Aug 11, 2013 @ 09:11:55
Thanks Karen, I agree. Too often I’ve done nothing with very poor results. Much like canoeing, it’s easier to steer while in motion. blessings, Brad
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Aug 11, 2013 @ 04:25:49
I have the opposite problem. Acting/reacting instead of just being, waiting, listening. I think finding the balance is where wisdom lies. Or so I’m told… 🙂
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Aug 11, 2013 @ 09:16:59
Hi Susana, I’ve experienced this too. If we slow enough to at least take a few deep breaths and get in touch with a deeper part of us, that usually helps. Balance is good, and ultimately we must follow our own wisdom. Ideally you will take inspired action rather than reaction. blessings, Brad
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Aug 11, 2013 @ 00:49:43
Preach it, Brad! 🙂 Good stuff.
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Aug 11, 2013 @ 09:18:59
Thanks Eric! I hope I’m not coming off too preachy or know it all. I’m simply sharing my experience in the hope it helps others. Thanks for following me around, keeping me sharp!
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Aug 11, 2013 @ 12:52:42
Absolutely not too preachy or know it all. I trust you know that your insights and encouragement are both benefitting and appreciated by those who follow you. You don’t need me to keep you sharp; you are!
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Aug 11, 2013 @ 19:46:47
Thanks Eric, Good to know that I’m helpful and appreciated as are you and all my readers, especially ones who comment!, even those who disagree. 🙂
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