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Life Decisions
Have you ever wondered where you'd be if you made different life
decisions? I think about it now and then, especially when I encounter
folks whose lives are a mess. I've come across a few of these in
the last day or two. They did some things that started them down
the wrong path. At first it seemed harmless enough but things snow-balled
and soon their lives were spiraling out of control.
A good friend of mine told me his story a few years ago and it made
a deep and lasting impression on me. He is a remarkable guitarist
and when he was younger, he played lead for a really famous singer.
He traveled around the world in a Learjet, stayed in the finest hotels,
and earned a lot of money. He was married with a house in Aspen,
Colorado. He was on top of the world - for a while. But my friend
drank excessively, smoked pot, and did every kind of drug known to
man. He was living on the edge.
Then things started to unravel for him and he lost the marriage,
the house, and he landed in jail. He called his elderly parents for
help but they refused. He had called them one time too many. They
had put him through rehab, bailed him out of jail, paid fines, and
he repaid their kindness with more insanity. His parents decided
enough was enough and his dad said, with tears in his eyes, "you'll
have to work this out for yourself."
My friend said he was furious - he cursed, screamed and beat the
walls of that jail cell until his fists were bloody. He called all
his old friends but no one came. He was locked away for months. All
of a sudden, he was at the bottom and from there he had a chance
to take a long hard look at all his life decisions.
When he got out, he was a new man. He started attending Alcoholic
Anonymous meetings and he got his life back together. He made his
way home and made peace with his family. He has been clean for many
years. Several years ago he married a beautiful caring woman and
they now own a horse farm in Texas.
I asked him once what took him so long to "get it." He
said "I am a lovable person and everybody wanted to help me,
except me. I never once thought about getting my life straight until
I hit bottom. The view is much clearer from down there," he
explained.
The decisions you make each day have an impact not only on your life,
but on the lives of your family and friends. Life can be hard at
times and we find ourselves taking the easy way out believing that
it doesn’t matter, but everything matters. Even NOT taking
action has consequences. “Should I put some money back for
a rainy day or buy a big screen TV?” “Should I work overtime
to satisfy the boss or go to my kid’s dance recital?” “Should
I go back to school at night and get a better job, or should I let
things ride and see what happens?” I usually know in my gut
which course is the right one to take.
There is an old saying that goes: Sometimes you get the test before
you get the lesson.
Indeed the answers to life’s questions are not always easy
and sometimes decisions may not turn out as you hoped they would.
It’s best to take the long view and strive to make the best
decision based on what you currently know. If you make a mistake,
learn from it so maybe the next time around the decision will be
an easy one.
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