Have you chosen by choice or by default?

I’ve been a student of people for many years. One thing I’ve learned is that most people don’t make active decisions.

It is easy to ponder an item until it no longer needs action. The sale ends so you don’t have to worry about buying the car.

Someone else got the job, so I don’t have to write my resume. It started to rain, so I can’t cut the grass. “There is a lion without, I shall be slain…” (Prov. 22:13).

More appropriately, it may be better stated by saying, I can’t apply for that job because:

“I’m too old”
“I’m too fat”
“I’m too young”
“I don’t have a college degree.”
“I‘m not a man”
“I’m too…”

You’ve heard them. For that matter, you’ve said them. Truth be told, these reasons really don’t cut it.

I had a cousin that was a quadriplegic for 41 years. The only reason he didn’t get a job was that he couldn’t see his way to let loose of his state provided benefits.

Now, I’m not judging him, don’t jump to that conclusion. He may have made the best decision available, but that is not the point. The point is, even a quadriplegic can do a job.

So will you make the choice? Will you step up and do what you know needs to be done? Can be done? You want to do?

“Someone ought to ___________”, you fill in the blank. How about you?

A number of years ago, I noticed that a friend of mine had a resume that would choke a horse. Later, I made another friend, which had a resume that would impress almost anyone. Yet another friend inspired me to step forward and do what I could.

These 3 people, 2 women and 1 man, did one key thing. They choose to step forward and do what they saw could be done. I decided to join them.

To make a long story short, the VP of the local Habitat for Humanity told me I was going to be the next President. I said, “Oh no, you’ll be the next President.” That conversation took place 4 to 5 months after I had joined the group. Well, he was correct, and I was wrong. It just took 2 years to happen.

The bottom line is, you can do far more than you thought, if you will choose to step forward and do what you can.

By the way, the best way to get ahead is to do whatever it is that needs to be done. I have seen many people get offers or promotions because “they can be counted on.”

Stand up, step up, and speak up. Watching it on TV will not get it done, action will.

Blessings, Joe Crawford

Choice not Chance

"choice, not chance determines human destiny" (from our church bulletin)

not much else need to be said!

You Decide

I met for coffee today with some of the other officers of our local Habitat for Humanity. We were meeting to see what we could do to get this current house we are building completed. But that is another story…

During the course of the conversation ‘Rev’ made the statement: “Most of us will go to any length and put ourselves through any kind of pain in order to avoid making a decision.”

I grabbed a pen and started writing. The statement rings true with me, but I decided to take a different perspective. I believe we make decisions, but not consciously or currently.

Things that we accepted as fact in our life make the decisions for us. The things we believe guide us. So when someone asks us anything, our beliefs take over. “I can’t sell.” “I can’t remember names.” “I’m too busy to…”

The truth is that none of the statements are correct. You can sell anything you believe in. You can remember names if the names mean something to you. And, you are not so busy to do what you really want to do.

Now, I know that there is inevitably someone, somewhere, that has some condition that prevents them from remembering names. OK, this doesn’t work for everybody, all the time. But, it does for most everybody, most of the time.

What I am talking about here is that we make decisions at some time in our life that dictates our actions for the rest of our life, unless… unless, we change those decisions. This would (probably) be an intentional decision on our part.

You can do things you don’t believe you can do, if you are willing to pay the price or do what you need to do to make it happen.

“I can’t loose weight.” Yes you can, but you have to do what it takes to loose it. The truth most often is that you won’t admit that you over eat, or that you even really need to loose the weight, at all.

So what is the point? The point is, look at what you really want. Look at what it will take to bring it to pass. Weigh the costs. Make the decision that suits you best. In the words of Yoda, “Decide you will.”

You will either make the decision or you decide to let those underlying beliefs, circumstances, or whatever, decide for you. It is still your choice.

I propose that you will go a lot further by consciously deciding than you can ever go by letting things just happen. You will go where you see best, because it will in fact be where you want to go.

My desire was always to help others. It wasn’t until I made some decisions that I became the head of several non-profit organizations. I believe I have had a positive impact on a broad base of people.

I had some advice that told me to not go there… My conscience decision helped me to walk where I really want to walk.

My son likes to quote from the movie “Meet the Robinsons”: “Hum, admit that I made a mistake or blame you? DING, DING, DING; I Blame You!!”

Ok, what’s the point? You decide to go where you want to go, do what you want to do, and be what you want to be. Or, you decide to let others or things or conditions or… stop you or talk you out of it, but you still make the decision. It is just easy to not admit that you made the decision.

Please enjoy the following 10 minute video to see what can be done when you make active decisions: On Top of The World


Blessings, Joe Crawford

PS. Let me know of the decisions that changed or will change your life. (short version please!)