“What the heck should I do?” Said with a furrowed brow and a hint of sweat.
For things to go well, it’s all about making the right decision. Yes?
Hmmm.
Let’s take a look at decision making and how it happens with ease and accuracy.
But first. A story. A true one.
He went by; Doug. But, by the end of the trip, I had re-named him River Muse.
I was assigned to his raft along with other newbies.
None of us had navigated class one rapids, never mind class four – which was on the itinerary for day four.
About three hours into day two the entire group, not just our raft, exhaled an extra long breath. The mesmerizing scenery and pulsing river lulled us into rhythm with nature.
Doug was a man of few words. But boy! Did he listen.
To the wind, to the invisible current vibrating the bottom of the raft, to the color of water showing variable depth, to the shifting weight of us newbies repositioning to get the best suntan.
As quiet as he was, it was loud and clear that Doug did not get caught up in thoughts and fears about which direction to steer.
A thought-less, imperceptible, lean of his body to the left tilted the raft just enough to glide over the edge of a boulder. A sharp shift of the tiller just at the right time turned us into the stopping place for lunch.
More than once, without warning, the raft broadsided a wave. Spray leapt over the bow drenching us newbies. But panic subsided as the raft regained its steady course and wet, cold, spray refreshed sun scorched skin.
Looking back, Doug had an enigmatic Mona Lisa smile. Did he deliberately steer into the wave?
No. The collision was not born of unkind thought. It was another demonstration of skill. Playfully honing us newbies to trust his taciturn mastery for the challenge ahead.
On day four us newbies were to travel in the middle of the flotilla. Not in the lead, lest we hold up the fast ones, and not at the end to straggle behind.
That was it. That was the plan. Nothing more was needed. In three short days, under Doug’s deft, precise steerage, each newbie had turned into a veteran at letting go fear of the river, it’s cold, it’s surprise and it’s power.
A thunderous, whirlpool dangerous, passage way, sheer with banks of water and rock, was at once perilous and thrilling.
Above squeals of laughter and awe Doug’s first and only vocal directions sailed through the air. “Lean left’. “Lean right”. “Bunch up”. And we moved as one as he balanced to counter.
An hour later, Doug gently brought the raft alongside the landing jetty.
No longer newbies, dazed with endorphins, we stepped on land transformed. We had graduated from newbie to somewhat experienced. But, deeper than that, we were invisibly touched by the compass of ease and accuracy that Doug steered by.
The best decisions require no thought because….
…worry and worse case scenario’s spin into a downward spiral.
…clear, accurate decisions happen with ease when we stop drowning in insecure, stressful thinking.
As we root in being conscious, our felt sense engages our inner compass to navigate life, challenge and unknowns with accuracy, skill and joy.
So, explore. Approach decisions with curiosity. Let the unfolding of a decision teach you how to feel and sense your way to connect with the deeper current of your life that flows as integrity and love.
Love,
Fiona
