Which Way?

Which decision is the right one? Can I take ownership of this decision and be okay with it? Will it be the best one for the future, for growth? Decisions are scary because they involve risk and heading into the unknown. Dr. Spock said, "Trust yourself, you know more than you think you do!"  But, what about the conflicting voices in you head? One is telling you to do it and the other says to beware. How do you know which voice to listen to?

After spending some time online and going through my library looking for some guidance, I found wisdom in Proverbs, insight from Buddhism, and ways to in decision making models. Seems it comes right down to this: which makes you feel at peace when you consider the consequences of the decision?

I did find a poem by Ernst Holmes that provided a perspective that made me feel a calm. Here it is:

  "She let go of her fear, She let go of her judgments. She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head. She let go of the committee of indecision within her. She let go of all the 'right' reasons.  Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go."

   "She didn't ask anyone for advice. She didn't read a book on how to let go...She didn't search the scriptures. She just let go. She let go of all the memories that held her back. She let go of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward. She let go of the planning and all of the calculation on how to do it just right."

   "She didn't promise to let go. She didn't journal about it. She didn't write the projected date in her Day-Timer. She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper. She didn't check the weather report or read her daily horoscope. She just let go."
 
 "She didn't analyze whether she should let go. She didn't call her friends to discuss the matter. She didn't do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment. She didn't call the prayer line. She didn't utter one word. She just let go."

   "No one was around when it happened. There was no applause or congratulations. No one praised her or thanked her. No one noticed a thing. Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go."

   "There was no effort. There was no struggle. It wasn't good and it wasn't bad. It was what it was, an it is just that.

   "In the space of letting go, she let it all be. A small smile came over her face. A light breeze blew through her. And the sun and the moon shone forevermore."

Hmm....