Hello Dear One, Are you struggling with a difficult decision today? What strategies are you using to make the best decision possible, one that serves the highest good for all parties? I’m in the process of wrestling with some life-altering decisions at present, and have been reflecting on how to make good, God-honoring choices. With the hope that it may help you in your life, I want to share the check-list of questions I ask myself before moving forward with any significant changes.
- What’s motivating your choices? My goal is to only make decisions out of a sincere desire for doing what is good and right. If I sense I’m being driven by fear, then I examine all the fears closely to see what I can learn from them. Then I move beyond the fear and on to the higher emotions and objectives to make my decision.
- Have you tuned into your intuition? It’s amazing how well my gut instincts serve me. There have been a few times in my life when I’ve failed to head the warnings from my intuition, and I’ve REALLY regretted it. I now know how important it is to pay attention to those little (or big!) red flags that my intuition gives me.
- What clues are you getting from your body? When you envision the various options how does your body FEEL and what emotions come up? The body has wisdom. It knows on a deep level, beyond our conscious thoughts. I try on various options in my mind by imagining each scenario in exquisite detail, engaging all my senses. Sometimes this practice helps me to realize that an option I thought was the best, really isn’t. If, on the other hand, I feel a sense of joy, lightness and peace in my body when I envision an option, I feel more confident in the direction I need to take.
- Have you talked through all the options with your spouse or other loved ones? Well, this is sort of a no-brainer, but important nonetheless. Sometimes life gets crazy with work, raising three daughters and running a household, so time to talk with my hubby is in short supply. We make it a priority though and it’s incredibly helpful to have the support of my husband.
- Have you made a grid with the various options and listed the pros and cons of each? I have to admit that even though I have known about this powerful strategy for years, I have only recently started to use it. My personality being what it is, very focused on feelings and intuition, made this process seem clunky and tedious in my younger years. However, as life has gotten more complicated, the exercise of looking at all the options in great detail has proven to be very illuminating. Eliminating inferior options (i.e. more cons than pros) are an important part of the process of reaching an optimal decision.
- Have you phoned a wise friend or reached out to a trusted adviser, counselor, life coach or pastor? “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellers they are established.” -Proverbs 15:22 KJV
- Are you fasting, praying and reading Scripture? Fasting is a wonderful spiritual practice that reminds me just how dependent I am on God. Prayer is powerful and effective. I know that I can trust in God to answer my prayers in a way that works out for my ultimate good and His glory. His timing is perfect. The Bible is my life-line. Scripture provides me with inspiration to grow and move out of my comfort zone, and is full of practical wisdom for living a good life.
- Are you down on your knees calling out to God for wisdom and discernment? “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” -James 1:5 NLT
- Are you well fed and rested before taking action? My brain works best when I have adequate sleep and nutrition, so I have made a promise to myself not to act on any decisions until after having a well-balanced meal and a good night sleep.
- Have you given the decision an adequate amount of deliberation time? It’s important for me to take adequate time to reflect on the possible consequences of my decision. Sometimes this process takes days, but usually for most major decisions the process of addressing all of the above questions takes several months, sometimes years!
The final step is to WAIT for a sense of peace, that peace that passes understanding, before moving forward.
Once I have the peace, then I act decisively and without delay, trusting that God will lead and guide me with love and kindness ♥.
What about you? How do you make important life decisions?
As for my major life decisions, stay tuned for what God is doing in my life!
Do you have questions about how to naturally restore brain health and a calm, positive mood? I invite you to attend my free public workshop in Asheville, NC on January 27, 2018 from 2:00-3:30pm. Be sure to let me know you’re coming by e-mailing me at help@caringforthebody.org to reserve you seat.
I love forward to connecting with you soon!
Warmly,
Cynthia Libert, M.D.
