We all have to make them. Sometimes they are as simple as deciding what pair of socks go best with an outfit, or if you want your hair parted to the left today. But sometimes the decisions that need to be made take a little more time, care and consideration.
With these more complex decisions we sometimes tend to look to others for advice. Lord knows I have done my fair share of consulting my trusted inner circle, as have they consulted me. But when we do this, is it because we are truly incapable of making a decision for ourselves, or is it that we just want someone to talk things out with?
How many times have you given advice to someone you care about and then they do the complete opposite? And there you are saying to yourself, “What the hell?!” We have all been there, but here is something to remember. We can give the best advice we have to those we care about, but at the end of the day they are the ones living their life, not us.
This is why I tend to give advice in the context of “if it were me”, and I always tell them they have to do what they know in their heart is right, because again, they have to live with the decision. And the “if it were me” scenario isn’t always accurate either, because quite often we don’t know how we will react to a situation until we are faced with it.
So when you have given your advice and/or opinion, and they do the complete opposite, don’t get upset with them. They have their own reasons for making the decisions they do. Just be happy, and even grateful, that they felt they could trust you and count on you to be supportive. I mean, think about it, do you really want someone dictating to you how to live your life? Probably not, but it is nice to have someone who will listen. And sometimes it is nice to hear another point of view.
I know for me, I always appreciate all the advice I get, and I do take it to heart. I may not follow the advice to a t, but I do always take something away from it and apply it to my decision.
So to those of you who have been there for me, thank you! Your advice was not ignored. And to those of you that I have been there for, I understand.
We only get one life, and we have to live it the way we are happiest, whether anyone else understands or not. One thing is for certain, we cannot get through it without a shoulder to lean on from time to time.
G.
©Gloria Tassen and Life According To G, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Gloria Tassen and Life According To G with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Life According To G 