HOW TO MAKE DECISIONS STEP BY STEP

Everyday we have to take decisions - from the bread we're going to have for breakfast to complex or critical decisions with serious consequences on the decision maker and others. It would be nice if we could count on a step-by-step approach to help us with the decision. I prepared a "Decision Making Steps" list to help me out with decisions in the future.

Recently I I had to make a critical decision on my cat's life. Afterwards, I felt bad about my decision. I was not certain whether it was the right one, although I had relied on a professional Vet for guidance.

The decision took a hard toll on me and my wife. Reviewing the facts and events I felt that my decision could eventually be different, if I was made aware of the several aspects and items that I was not familiar with at that time.

My disappointment led me to review the situation and learn on my feelings, emotions and those things that interfered with or influenced to my decision. As a conclusion, I prepared a list of factors to consider before taking any decision. To be effective, one must study this list everyday until it become a second nature such way when facing a new situation that requires decision, specially a critical one, one can act and react properly instead to be at the mercy of others or be engulfed by the situation. I printed my DECISION MAKING list, put one copy on my desk, another in in my car, and a business card size in my pocket wallet to read and consult whenever I need. Here are the steps.

Comments are welcome

DECISION MAKING STEPS 

The firstly we should rank the decision as: light, medium, serious or critical.
      Light and medium – correction is possible
      Serious – correction is possible but losses or damages are expected
      Critical – irreversible

1. Don’t listen to layman to make decisions
2. Don’t listen to professionals you don’t have references or know past results
3. Don’t listen to anyone you don’t feel comfortable with
4. Always seek for 2nd or even 3rd opinion before critical decisions
5. Don’t wait too long when a critical decision is required
6. Check, recheck anything prescribed until it’s 100% clear before use it
7. When something seems to be “wrong” don’t postpone or delay investigation
8. Don’t allow financial conditions to interfere with decisions.
 9. Always look for other solutions
10. Cancel any appointment or task not pertinent to the decision
11. Always check pros and cons for each possible solution
12. If you don’t agree, cannot agree right there, or have doubts on the solution presented, or the presenter of the solution, stop, take time, or get out immediately to avoid pressure or contamination of decision making process
13. Be aware of professionals who try to blame you for things you haven’t done or done wrong. Don’t look for acceptance but for solutions
14. Don’t take major decisions under stress or pressure of any kind
15. Don’t take decision only to compensate or replace prior wrong decisions
16. When you don’t know something that may weigh or contribute to the decision, search and ask for answers until 100% satisfied
17. Don’t accept dubious answers as “maybe, possibly, can be because of this or that”, without a clear line of action to resolve. Make this clear to participants or contributors to the decision
18. Don’t assume anything or speculate when factors are unknown

Emotions

An emotion occur when an overlap between two illusions occurs or an overlap of illusion and reality. Lets say you have the illusion your wife will never leave you, but one day she comes and tell you she is leaving. We have here one illusion and one reality. Another example is you feel you love your wife but you also feels you are in love for somebody else. We have here the overlap of two illusions. To make it short, the combination is unlimited. An enlightened person arises above the state of illusion and emotion nevertheless he can always feel emotions while still walking on Earth, but it is similar the emotions one experiment when watching a movie. You see all from the top down not a side to side view. Did you get it?

INTEGRITY!

Personal integrity is:
You mean what you say, you say what you mean.

Stupid Politicians

Many of us, including myself, always think politicians (at least some of them) are stupid. Here's a fine video I found explaining:

Travel Tips

Hey,
I found an interesting website when searching for travel. This is the TripAdvisor Diary. It seems they are not related to famous TripAdvisor website but I found it to be even better. There's a phenomenal online travel agency on the main web page. Nice presentation and photos. I'll come back to that website later.

Enlightenment - What is this?

If you search, you'll find a lot on enlightenment but very few people seems to achieve that state of conscience. I have been working on that but guess what, it's not a matter to work on that. It sounds strange but it's true. The more you seek for, further you are from the truth. The point is, enlightenment is a word, and as such is not the object it intent to describe. There's a huge difference between words and the object of the word. Then, most would like to be enlightened with a purpose, and there's no purpose to be achieved. What is that for? If we try to describe, we'll be in the wrong path. To simplify, we may say it is to get rid of the mind. All beings are naturally enlightened because this state is the essence of the being, but the enlightening is shadowed by the mind unless you are a newborn. After early ages, your mind will be slowly and progressively conditioned by the society starting with your parents. To revert the process one need first to be aware of that process of conditioning. Secondly must pay complete attention to what happens inside and outside of you. Third, must make no judgement while observing. Fourth, must forgive you and all for anything you have done or others have done to you. Fifth, give a break to your past and future. There's not past or future but memory of the past and wishes for the future. I'm not telling to forget the past because it is unforgettable. I tell you to leave it there in the memory where it belongs. When it comes up just let it go, like you were watching a movie for a second or third time. It is all it is, a movie, and you are just the spectator at this point. Sixth, don't hang in anything good or bad because the good and bad are just assumptions made by the mind. Just watch, experience and let go as it came. There are more to ad but I cannot continue to write right now. There's an interesting video I found on an enlightened person. When I watch this person talk for the first time in other videos I though he was a crook and did not pay attention. In my mind (I didn't lose it yet), his produced image, his speech, all touched a button inside me that says "he's fake". Now, after watching a number of videos I say, he is an enlightened being. Enough for now. Watch the video and enjoy!

So, every time I type on ping.fm my posting is automatically posted in several social media. Cool.