How often have you thought...or said...or heard? "Decisions.Decisions, Decisions!
Many people that I work with initially believe that living "The Decided Life" means that they have fewer decisions to make...let me respond to this...
"NO!"
"It's not true!"
Before we entertain the rationale behind that thought...Let's rant for a while...
The other evening...during a discussion...I heard the word "entitled"...
Everyone who knows me knows the normal response elicited by that word...
Anyone verbalizing that simple word, runs the risk of a lengthy lecture on the only thing that we are entitled to is a breath and a heartbeat...
Our "Founding Fathers" did their best to parallel that philosophical position with the guarantee of "...life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..." beyond that...from my perspective...it is a choice!
Today as I was driving...I reflected on my position on entitlement...it was then I began noticing the impact that this word has had on our society...
ENTITLED DRIVING!
Although this is not apparent across the US...it is in my corner of America...
..."Entitled driving" has become the way a majority of the people drive...
...Perhaps better stated...the driving behaviors in this area of the country vividly show that a majority of this society's belief system is affecting the way they are driving!
Behaviors are driven by one's beliefs...
Let's look at a particular driving behavior that I consistently see...
People will be driving along and suddenly change lanes...often without warning!
First of all...they totally forget about a standard courtesy device on their steering column called a "directional signal!"
Then if they are not given (what they believe is their right to change lanes anytime they desire) they use an emergency device called a horn!
I am amused how people lacking courtesy can create personal emergencies!
After a little thought it's the use or lack of use of these two devices that seem to point to a deeper problem...
Yes individuals deserve the right (are entitled to) "...life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..." but that right is extend only as far as it does not ''...infringe on the rights of another..."
This is what is lacking from this current culture...
A drivers need to turn at a specific intersection, or into a driveway should be fulfilled...but not at the expense of anyone else behind them...
Regardless of the excuse for needing to change lanes at a specific time...it should be done with minimum infringement on the others on the road!
Perhaps many of these drivers have poor eyesight...and don't see the road signs until they are near...
But then I ask...should they be driving?
Perhaps the driver was talking on the phone or texting...
But then I ask...should they be driving?
Perhaps the driver was intoxicated...
But then I ask...should they be driving?
Perhaps they neglected to anticipate the need to change lanes...
But then I ask...should they be driving?
Perhaps they don't care about the other drivers on the road around them...
But then I ask...should they be driving?
When one's behavior affects or infringes on the rights of others around them...they no longer are entitled to the right they have! RIGHT?
This may sound extreme...but...if a lane change of one person causes others to slow down...even thought the cost is minimal...it is infringement!
Many miss the fact that there are costs associated with EVERY action...our goal is to think and act in such ways that our self-serving actions (such as a lane change) has minimal impact on the others around us!
This behavior extends beyond "lane changes" and permeates the mindset and actions everywhere!
"I have a right to occupy this space..." is true...but only when the cost associated to others is minimized, permitted by their approval, or negated...
When I think deeper...taking something without permission is theft!
Let's push this to the limits...bad driving is thievery! A bad driving behavior steals from the others around them...and although petty larceny...it also infringes on others right to "...life, liberty and their pursuit of happiness..." and is a direct breach of the foundation of this wonderful country...
A driver's license is not an entitlement...it is an endorsement of one's ability to drive with the rights of others in mind...
Enough ranting!
But there may be a lesson that can be tied into the original theme...
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!
Our lives are recipes...composed of the results of our decisions made!
Like a cake...it will not be right if we leave certain ingredients out!
or...
add too much of another...
or...
replace one with the wrong one...
The perfect cake has the perfect combination of ingredients...
As does our lives...
Expecting to make fewer decisions as the result of living a "Decided life" is unrealistic...
Each of us has a set number of decisions to make to become the "perfect cake!"
Our goal is to make each decision...exactly the rights one, at the right time...in the right amount!
Creating the perfect cake!
The question then arises...
How do I make the right decisions?
Let's return to our rant about poor driving!
We need to assume that "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..." is a universal law of nature!
Regardless of the cultural, or political, or religious ideology...this law holds true "too everyone" and must bind the "rightness" of our decisions!
Any decision made must consider the consequences to others in the immediate area and in all actuality...downstream...
Consider a "simple" lane change...that slows traffic ever so slightly...
The long term or downstream affect may be a gridlock on that section of the road!
I wonder how many people even consider that thought before they change lanes...
My guess is that it doesn't matter because they got what they wanted and aren't present in the stoppage!
Total disregard!
Believe it or not...our decisions are often made from that narrow and self-serving perspective...
Although often unintentional...we do not look at the known consequences (costs) to others...
We need to get what we want thinking that the costs (whatever they are) are of no matter to others...
This totally breaks this universal law...then one becomes a felon...breaking a universal law!
Changing lanes could infringe on someone driving to a hospital to see a dying friend and the "tiny" delay then causes that individual to miss a chance to say "good bye!"
Ignorance is no excuse!
The "lane changer" may justify their move by asking, "how could I have known?"
The response to that LAME excuse is simple...
Anticipating the change sooner and driving more courteous, using a directional signal and rather than jumping ahead...maintaining speed until the others in the lane had passed and moving at the best opportunity would have helped...
OR...
Perhaps admitting stupidity and driving beyond the intersection and turning around and learning from the mistake...and paying the price for not being a good driver...That one made me smile!!!
Seriously...
We have been taught the wrong decision making criteria...
It is really all about costs...literal and figurative ones!
Great Decisions change the "cost" structure associated with them...
The greatest cost should always be borne by the "decider"...why?...because they are receiving the greatest benefit from it...
The cost to those surrounding the decision should be minimal or eliminated...for most of them have absolutely nothing to gain!
It becomes VERY clear that each decision is made on the associated costs to the decider and the derived benefits!
That puts "deciding" into perspective and makes it very easy!
As I think deeper...making the right decisions is not only a talent...it is an obligation!
We owe it to those surrounding us...whether we know them or not...
For there is no such thing as a decision of value that can be made in a vacuum without any impact on other...
...and they are the ones who pay the price for bad decisions...
The Decided Life!
.
