{"id":32357,"date":"2016-07-13T06:00:15","date_gmt":"2016-07-13T13:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=32357"},"modified":"2016-07-12T14:36:01","modified_gmt":"2016-07-12T21:36:01","slug":"fear-vs-love-the-choice-is-yours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/fear-versus-love-choice-is-yours-0713164","title":{"rendered":"Fear vs. Love: The Choice Is Yours"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Woman“When you know better, you do better.” <\/em>\u2014Maya Angelou<\/p>\n

Have you ever met someone who was great at making decisions? Their decisions may not always work out flawlessly, but the confidence<\/a> they demonstrate when making decisions is impressive. Confident decision-makers have an ability to balance the opinions and advice of others with their inner voice. Even when their plan doesn\u2019t go as hoped, there is a level of peace that comes from knowing, at the time, they made the best decision they knew to make. They learn from the experience and use the newfound knowledge toward their next decision.<\/p>\n

So what is the trick to making sound decisions? How can we begin to incorporate this type of confidence when making choices? That depends. There may be research you have to do, people with whom you need to consult, financial situations to consider, time management\u2014the list goes on. What I have found to be one of the most helpful questions to consider during the decision-making process is, \u201cAm I making this decision based on fear<\/a> or love<\/a>?\u201d<\/p>\n

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What’s love got to do with it? I\u2019m referring to an all-encompassing love for yourself, for others, for the work you do\u2014for your life. Don\u2019t get me wrong; I understand we don\u2019t always have an array of choices we love. Sometimes we have to choose between the lesser of two evils. But when we do, are we basing that decision on fear or love? And why does that even matter?<\/p>\n

Think about it. How many times have you made a decision based on fear or reacted in fear and thought, \u201cGee, that went well! I was at my best when I reacted that way.\u201d A certain level of fear is healthy and keeps us safe, but I\u2019m not referring to physical safety. Our safety and the safety of others is always priority. I\u2019m talking about choices that require us to dig deeper after we\u2019ve done our due diligence, ensured our safety and the safety of others, and examined the logistics. Choices such as:<\/p>\n