As we go through life, we face many decisions on a daily basis. Some choices we have to make affect us for a moment, while others can affect us for a lifetime. As we grow, it can be said that none of the answers to the hard decisions we face get easier to find. We search high and low for some sort of “sign” that would eventually lead us in the right direction, in hopes to take the pressure off making the right choice for ourselves. The truth is there will never be a sign clear or big enough to base a life altering decision off of. To make the right choice can be seen as an innate feature in that at the end of the day, we know right from wrong. What to do with this knowledge is the hard part...which is where doing what’s best comes into play. Before we make some of our most important decisions, there needs to be some form of pre-determinant for each and every one. We need to decide if the choice we are about to make is either what's RIGHT or what's BEST.
When making an essential choice about something , we usually support what's right for reasons pertaining to OUR OWN personal afflictions with the matter . To do what's right means we do it because of what WE have to gain or lose in regards to the choice being made. We make what we believe to be a right decision because it will make us feel better or help us maintain a level of self-esteem or pride to go on with our lives. As we make the decision, we begin to ponder thoughts like," there’s nothing else that could’ve been done", or “I feel good about my decision because I couldn't take the pain anymore". Majority of “right" decisions help the individual...and there is nothing wrong with that. There comes a time in every man's life when they need to do right by themselves or at least realize what that would mean. The question that remains is whether or not it should be at the expense of what's best.
When faced with a difficult situation, to do what's best means that you're determining your choice not only on how it affects you, but all parties involved. To do so, you must put aside all feelings of anger, hurt, pride, guilt and contempt on the inside to focus on what's best for everyone; especially if the others impacted by your decision are people that you care about. It’s safe to say that it’s easier for someone looking on the outside to see the impact of life’s choices. A lot of times because of how our own feelings impact us, we neglect the feelings of others which may supercede our own in this particular situation. For example, look at a mother who may be unhappy at her current job. Day in and day out she goes to work feeling disrespected and unappreciated. She stays because although it makes her feel like crap, it’s what's best for now in order to take care of her children.
In friendships, often times we are able to see the mistakes that those close to us are making way before they are able to see it for themselves. Doing what's best may mean eventually keeping your opinions to yourself and being there for them in case they fall. Although you try to show them what's right, you do what's best for the sake of your friendship, which may mean standing back, shutting up and letting the power of experience take its course. This goes for relationships as well. Many times in a relationship, we encounter various trials in which we must decide on whether to do what's right for us as individuals or what's best for both parties. This usually goes in a cycle as we start off by doing what's right one person. Then as we grow into love for the person, we start to do what's best for our partner. If problems arise, you try to fix it by doing what you think is right for them. And in the unfortunate case where you reach the end of your relationship, you ultimately may choose what’s best for the both of you. To genuinely fall in love with someone means you lose all egotistical tendencies you once had, as you begin to value the well being and happiness of your partner, sometimes neglecting your own. As time passes and the "probationary period" ends when you realize that he/she isn't as perfect as you'd like them to be, choosing which path to take becomes more difficult as we are forced to do what we know is right for" me" or what's best for "we". At this point you may begin to question if its worth doing what’s best because you thought you were doing the best thing by getting into the relationship in the first place. It’s important to remember that what brought you to a certain place is not what makes you stay there.
Choosing what's right or what's best is usually dependent on what stage of growth you are presently in. What's right for us as individuals will always be evident as we know deep down what makes us happy. Seeing what's best may not be so easy. It requires a lot of self reflection and the gift of responsibility as you put aside your own present feelings to ensure the contentment of another. This may not be the easiest to do especially if you are left scorned, hurt, betrayed, among many other feelings as choosing to do what's right in order for you to stop these feelings looks better and better. The ability to look outside yourself and stepping foot into the shoes of another is one of life’s greatest experiences. It has the potential to humble you in a manner that will make some of life’s toughest decisions that much easier. The most important aspect of whatever decision you make is not only how you feel now, but how you'll feel later after the storm clears. The path you take will not only affect your current travels, but will ultimately affect your potential destination. Doing what we think is right can keep us going through each day, but doing what’s best can help you sleep at night. If you reached a level of both when you are able to incorporate both into your decision making, you’ll be just fine.
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