One of the best pieces of advice I ever heard was that you will regret more the things you didn't do than the ones you did; and, overall, I think that's true. Certainly the more things I do and don't do, the more this seems to be the case. Now, obviously, this doesn't mean that everything I do works out well; sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't, and some things don't work out at all. But missed opportunities are one of the most frustrating and annoying things you can ever have. Going through life, you will not escape from wishing certain things could have been otherwise; thinking 'if only' is bad enough, but thinking 'what if' when you know that something was in your hands to change, and you didn't take it is much worse. It's only slightly a problem with things like going to a party or going out with friends when you hear later that they had a great time; but it's a lot more so when it's something like a job, or a mission trip, or moving house. And, more to the point, the more you say 'yes' makes it easier to say 'yes' next time. Saying 'yes' to small things also makes it easier to say 'yes' to bigger things; and, ultimately, makes all decisions seem easier to make. Saying 'yes' more doesn't mean that you stop saying 'no', but it might make it more likely to be a choice rather than a reaction.
The flipside of this, in a way, is something God has said to me time and time again in different circumstances; and that is that doing something is better than doing nothing. This is applicable to all sorts of situations, and in different ways. It could be that you are surrounded by a set of difficult circumstances, which aren't getting any better on their own. It could be that you don't know how to do something or quite what to do, so you may procrastinate (that's a good word). It could be that you are waiting for something to happen, you just aren't sure what. Sometimes it is just that you can't decide what to do, that doing something is better...
Which leads me on to another thing that God has been particularly saying to me recently. About various things. That in certain circumstances (almost certainly a lot more often than I would like), He really doesn't mind what we/I choose. Just that we/I choose. Choosing something rather than just reacting, or, even worse, just doing nothing and being unhappy about something while vaguely hoping that things will change is better. Just because choosing gets you involved, it wakes you up, as it were. And, even if it turns out to be a bad decision, you're still thinking-and can change things. Choosing is one of the best decisions you can make and actions you can take. Choosing to choose is always going to be good (for you).
And, lastly, remember that if a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing. This seems obvious, so obvious, there's nothing to say; but, following on from the previous comment, it's worth remembering. People sometimes can be inclined to perfectionism, thinking that if a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing well; and this can be an excuse not to do it, because you can't do it well enough. And that may well be the case-sometimes. But it shouldn't become a way of thinking. If a thing's worth doing, it may well be worth doing badly if that's the best that can be done, if making an attempt at doing it is better than leaving it undone. But, whatever is the case in this regard, the point is that once you have made your choice and decided that something is worth doing, then you should stick to it. Don't let fear, or difficulty, or, well, anything put you off doing it. If you have to postpone it to better plan, then do so; but don't let it just drift away once you have decided.
And, well, this is what I have been thinking about recently. Somethings I need to bear in mind more, and maybe, just maybe, someone else may benefit as well.
Which leads me on to another thing that God has been particularly saying to me recently. About various things. That in certain circumstances (almost certainly a lot more often than I would like), He really doesn't mind what we/I choose. Just that we/I choose. Choosing something rather than just reacting, or, even worse, just doing nothing and being unhappy about something while vaguely hoping that things will change is better. Just because choosing gets you involved, it wakes you up, as it were. And, even if it turns out to be a bad decision, you're still thinking-and can change things. Choosing is one of the best decisions you can make and actions you can take. Choosing to choose is always going to be good (for you).
And, lastly, remember that if a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing. This seems obvious, so obvious, there's nothing to say; but, following on from the previous comment, it's worth remembering. People sometimes can be inclined to perfectionism, thinking that if a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing well; and this can be an excuse not to do it, because you can't do it well enough. And that may well be the case-sometimes. But it shouldn't become a way of thinking. If a thing's worth doing, it may well be worth doing badly if that's the best that can be done, if making an attempt at doing it is better than leaving it undone. But, whatever is the case in this regard, the point is that once you have made your choice and decided that something is worth doing, then you should stick to it. Don't let fear, or difficulty, or, well, anything put you off doing it. If you have to postpone it to better plan, then do so; but don't let it just drift away once you have decided.
And, well, this is what I have been thinking about recently. Somethings I need to bear in mind more, and maybe, just maybe, someone else may benefit as well.
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