Tag: Consequences

Split image showing a happy woman hiking with 'YES Paths and Possibilities' and a sad woman sitting with 'NO Hesitation and Regret'
Tetelestai Recovery

Understanding the Power of Yes and No

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Split image showing a happy woman hiking with 'YES Paths and Possibilities' and a sad woman sitting with 'NO Hesitation and Regret'

As we level up, we begin to view every decision as both a yes and a no. Every yes carries an implied no, and every no carries an indirect yes. 

  • If we say yes to the blue shirt, we are also saying no to the red one.
  • If we say yes to a shower, we are also saying no to bad hygiene.
  • If we say yes to watching TV, we are also saying no to going outside.
  • If we say yes to healthy habits, we are saying no to junk food and laziness. We are also saying no to medical problems and poor self-image.
  • If we say yes to wasting time at work, or stealing from our employer, we are saying no to a clean conscience and integrity. As a result, we will develop resentment toward our boss to help alleviate our guilt.
  • If we say no to flirtations from a co-worker, we are saying yes to the trust and respect of our spouse.
  • If we say yes to gratitude, we are saying no to discontentment.
  • If we say yes to good manners, we are saying no to boorish behavior.

If we say yes to forgiveness, we are saying no to the weight of being easily offended, resulting in freedom and peace of mind.

 

Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.  Matthew 5:37

For every yes, there is a no; and for every no, there is a yes. As we level up, we become aware of our personal guardrails and use good judgement concerning what to accept and what to reject.

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Land Rover driving through muddy off-road trail during sunset
Tetelestai Recovery

Mastering Personal Growth Through Mindful Decisions

lastwordrecovery
Land Rover driving through muddy off-road trail during sunset

Just as potholes, ruts, mud, and carelessness are a bad combination when driving on muddy country roads, relationships and personal growth can also be messy, so we can’t afford to be careless with our decisions. We might not be able to control the storms of life, but we can control our focus and reaction.

When driving on a muddy road, we need to be precise in our movements, grasping the steering wheel securely, scanning the horizon, watching for standing water, and making conscious, deliberate adjustments to speed and direction. And above all else, never get too close to the edge.

As we level up in our new normal, we must adopt that same type of mindset with our life choices as we do for driving flooded roads. Our decisions and actions need to be precisely calculated to achieve the results we want. Just as it would be foolish to walk carelessly along the edge of a ravine, it is also foolish to see how close we can get to temptation without giving in.  

To level up, we must acknowledge that every action starts with a choice. And every choice carries two equal and opposite decisions. In other words, every choice carries both a yes and a no decision.

If we say yes to sobriety, we say no to chaos and destruction. And visa-versa. If we say yes to a drink or drug, we say no to hope and sanity. When we say yes to thinking about our choices, we say no to making the same dumb decisions, expecting different results.

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