Seven Aspects of a Making Brilliant Decisions: The Relationship Between Work and Self

Work\werk
: an opportunity for discovering and shaping; the place where the nnself meets the world.

Regardless of what business we are in, what projects we are working on or what nninterests we have in the world – we are all in the business of relationship nnbuilding. In business we are always cultivating relationships with employees, nnwith prospective clients, with colleagues. In our personal lives the place of nnrelationship is often more obvious and more central. And our deeper nnrelationship with ourselves is at the core of how we manage and grow each of nnthose other relationships and therefore our lives.

At every moment in our professional and personal lives we are faced with nndecisions – one after another that create and move along the landscape of our nnlives. What criteria do you use to make good decisions, what benchmarks do you nnemploy to measure your decision making process? The issue of relationships and nndecision-making are closely allied. If we are in close, clear contact with our nnown beings, our wisdom, our intuitive faculties- the decisions we make have more nnlikelihood of keeping us moving along a path that is in integrity with our nnvalues and real goals. When we allow the rush of events to disconnect us from nnthis deeper well of understanding and vision – all that we do suffers. I hear nnover and over again from clients how there isn’t the time, how the bottom-line nnis what must determine their choices and often their direction. I am not immune nnto the pressures and demands of the world we all live in. But if we are to, in nnsome way, affect the world positively and develop a life that is worth living we nnmust find some time to allow for the growth and development of that which will nngive us the foundation, creativity and energy to make moment-to-moment sound nndecisions.

How do you cultivate this essential connection or relationship with yourself?

What nourishes it? For me sometimes in a busy work environment it is the nnpresence of beauty or the kind and friendly relationship I have developed with nnmy colleagues. My daily habits of mind and inspiring walk contribute to this.

Sometimes it is taking the time to stop and allow silence to be present so I can nnsense the next move. I know that when I do this my decisions are more balanced.

Each of us must look to ourselves, to mentors and teachers to cultivate even nnsimple practices that we can integrate into our day.

When we are able to do this – to maintain a stronger connection to that core in nnus there is a sense of our own strength and power that then comes forward in our nnrelationships and choices. Of course our decision making takes into account nnfacts, weighing of potential outcomes, the history of the issue at hand. But if nnyou are making a decision the context in which it is made is really the state nnyou are in, your thoughts, your clarity, and your connection to a deeper well of nnbeing. These influence directly your perceptions, understanding, openness to nnoptions and solutions, and the flow of your creative juices. We must call on our nnown deeper understanding and vision to inform our choices.

Usually when we have cultivated this more essential connection it is easier to nnsee or sense what is needed in the situation. We more easily feel our own power nnto stand firm in the face of conflicting opinions or forces. We can keep a nnperspective that serves the situation and begins to move it along in some nncreative and hopefully affirmative way.

The word “Choices” itself gives us clues to the components of good nndecision-making. I believe that good choices are ones that bring about more nnability, more freedom for ourselves and others and ones that allow for continued nngrowth in the situation. Here is a way of looking at your daily choices and nnseeing how they are or are not contributing to this.nn

C: Creativen A good choice calls on your creativity, your interest in finding solutions nnthat may have been hidden. They actual feel good in your body because you can nnfeel the energy of your creativity being engaged. This in itself is satisfying.

H: Healthyn Faced with a decision you can always look at what is the healthiest route nnboth for yourself, for those involved and perhaps even for the future. Healthy nnnative cultures often make decisions based on the impact they may have for nngenerations to come. We have lost that long-range vision and often make nnshort-term decisions that are detrimental to the entire situation further down nnthe road. n

O: Open- Opportunities – Objectiven Does the decision keep you open to possibilities? Does it bring in a nnlarger field of opportunities? Are you able to make it in an objective as nnopposed to an emotionally reactive state?

I: Inspiren Inspiration is usually the outcome of a good decision. Even if the nnsolution is difficult or the next steps hazardous you know that you are doing nnthe best thing possible in the situation. Once more that in itself adds to your nnself-esteem and raises the energy available in the situation or system.

C: Connectionsn Isolation of some sort is often the by-product of questionable decisions.

Whether that isolation is from others, our own selves or our talents and nnabilities. But when we maintain those basic connections we can more safely nnnavigate the new and unknown territory that some choices bring.nnn E: Empowe
At then end of the day do your choices leave you feeling empowered – the nnauthor of your own decisions or do you feel caught in a web of confusion. If nnthe later is true it is time to stand back and begin to take a larger view of nnthe issues at hand.

S: Souln Finally choices that both utilize your connection to your soul and serve to nnsupport that bond are those that will bear the richest fruit.

Ask yourself – does this choice call on creativity – does it lead to healthy nnactions that support an open attitude and opportunities that lead to inspiration nnof some kind – empowering you and others to maintain the soul- the energy – the nnheart and guidance available in each moment. Choices such as these create nnenergy – not drain it- they feel good to us and at the end of the day we can nnrest easy knowing that regardless of outcome we have done the best that we can.

We are the authors of our lives and our business. Although we are each within a nnlarger field of forces, history and pressures each of us has at our disposal nncreative wisdom, connection and creativity that help us navigate the nnsometimes-chaotic landscape of each day. nn n“Feel the truth of what you are and at the same moment act. Risk yourself for nnwhat you know is right and true.” Fredrick Douglas, escaped slave from an

Independence Day speech

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