Decision maker, President Abraham Lincoln and Shakespeare

Decisions, or choices, are something we humans must make every day.

Sometimes they are small choices (or in some cases, big choices) that seem to have little effect on something whose results we can see immediately. Let’s take smoking as an example: it’s a (small) choice that millions of people decide to make every day.

However, we are all aware of the longer-term health effects, which I won’t dwell on, because it involves making decisions or choices that will affect your relationships or your interactions with people in a broader setting.

President Abraham Lincoln said:

“It is true that you can fool all the people sometime;

you can even fool some people all the time;

But you can’t fool all the people all the time.”

When it comes to decision making, my spin on this quote is:

“You can make all the people happy at some point;

You can even make some people happy all the time;

But you can’t make all the people happy all the time!”

Which leads to another quote…

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Polonius advises his son:

“Above all this: be true to yourself,

And it must continue, like night to day,

You will not be able to be false with any man.

Farewell, my blessing seasons this on you!”

That is, if you take care of your own interest first, then you are in a position to help others. As questionable as Polonius’s way of doing this may be, it is still a useful quote regarding decision-making.

As you take steps outside of your comfort zone, to grow toward greater potential in life and business, you will also take those around you out of their comfort zone.

Whether they are your friends, family, business associates or colleagues, they will be affected by what you do. If nothing else, their actions are a reflection of what they are or are not doing in their own lives.

Your choices or decisions can make the people around you unhappy, confused, or worried. If they don’t share your vision, their reaction can make you waver and doubt yourself.

It is advisable to seek the opinion of trusted advisors. However, ultimately, the decision must be made by yourself, and be clear that it really is what you think is best. Even if you end up changing course and taking a advised path, know that the choice to do so was completely yours. Otherwise, you may resent it if the results don’t live up to your expectations.