Not making a decision is making a decision

This keeps popping up in my life over and over and over. I actually heard this comment first courtesy of Grissom on CSI... for followers of the show, he just left the show. As a CSI fan, I think this was a real bone of contention for him for a long time.



So... how do you take this comment? At face value? How many of us are paralyzed or in a rut, not making a choice, perhaps out of fear? I am kind of new to blogging, granted I have blogs I've written at myspace and other sites. The difference between those and this one is that I really wasn't exploring much with those. I plan to use some of them as ideas to expand on here and hope maybe to field questions or perhaps get some much needed answers.



I suppose I avoid making decisions about many things. I don't like change. I do freely admit that I don't like change, it is a good thing when I NEED it but I frown and drag my feet when someone ELSE brings it upon me and I don't see a reason! I have heard all my life grand theories about breaking out of your comfort zone and potential potential potential. Potential what? Sounds pretty open ended to me. I have learned enough at this point though to know that some folks operate under the principle 'do unto others BEFORE they do unto you'. As funny as that sounds, it isn't. When making some sort of decision, I would much rather have the final say or last word on things that affect me rather than putz around and wait and wait... and end up having someone ELSE make the decision! Once in awhile I do that and often I regret it, or wonder what caused me to back away. It's hard to know, it might be in an effort for harmony or balance, because I am emotionally exhausted, or perhaps I just trust someone else more because they have more experience, knowledge, etc.



This brings me to another conundrum - the whole idea of silence and inactivity vs noise and action. People who sit on their hands and do nothing in response to a stimulus are often thought of as following the crowd or in agreement with whatever is going on around them. This isn't always true but it APPEARS that way, doesn't it? I have a hard time blending the appearance with how I feel sometimes. What is truly more important here? I think both are equally important, but you cannot control the perceptions of others. All you can do is control how you react to them and what you do to either reinforce or alter what people see.



Here is to hoping you actively MAKE more decisions this year instead of making decisions by default. Make decisions that will make you happy, make decisions that will make you grow. Do not underestimate the power of your choices for the direction of your life. 2009 and beyond.