The Best Way to Make Tough Decisions

Whenever I needed to make a tough decision, I would weigh the various pieces of data I had in order to drive to what I felt was the best conclusion.

If the topic was something I considered to be substantial in nature, then I would often create a pro/con list for each choice I was considering. That would help me rank the better options over the lesser ones.

And if I still couldn't come up with a final decision, then I would go with my gut.

So how has that worked out for me?

Well, in retrospect, despite my seemingly scientific, objective approach - I've made some pretty bad decisions.

The reason is that I wasn't really being objective. More like selectively objective. My judgment of how I wanted things to turn out always crowded out the voice that knew better.

It's not our brains that think and decide. It is our mind. Of which we have two choices: the ego mind and the mind of spirit. The Course teaches us that "the mind is the mechanism of decision."

Whenever we judge or have a vested interest in the outcome, then we've chosen the ego mind. And our decisions will always lead us deeper into pain. As my choices often did.

But when we choose the mind of spirit, the most helpful direction automatically flows through us with a guilt-free sense of ease. There's no better, more peaceful way to make any decisions.