Making Great Decisions Reflections: For a Life Without Limits

T.D. Jakes offers readers of theNew York TimesbestsellerBefore You Do, now retitledMaking Great Decisions: For a Life Without Limits, a collection of Scripture and quotes that provides the spiritual underpinnings of his message about applying Christian principles to making important choices that you'll be proud of for the rest of your life.Before You Do, the narrative book, uses wisdom collected from more than thirty years of Jakes's experience counseling and working more >>

T.D. Jakes offers readers of theNew York TimesbestsellerBefore You Do, now retitledMaking Great Decisions: For a Life Without Limits, a collection of Scripture and quotes that provides the spiritual underpinnings of his message about applying Christian principles to making important choices that you'll be proud of for the rest of your life.Before You Do, the narrative book, uses wisdom collected from more than thirty years of Jakes's experience counseling and working with high-profile and everyday people through his ministry and numerous appearances on national television and radio.

Relationship decisions come down to five crucial components, according to Bishop Jakes:

Research: gathering information and collecting data
Roadwork: removing obstacles and clearing the path
Rewards: listing choices and imagining their consequences
Revelation: narrowing your options and making your selection
Rearview: looking back and adjusting as necessary to stay on course

Making Great Decisions Reflectionscollects the words that groundBefore You Doin biblical teachings, making this book an essential keepsake, to carry with you in moments when inspiration and encouragement are needed.one

Before You Take the First Step -- Reflect, Discern

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step."

--Chinese proverb

I can trace every success or failure in my life back to something I did or didn't decide effectively. Whether in the course of developing relationships, doing business, selecting investments, or accepting invitations, I've found a direct correlation between my location on life's highway and my decisions to turn, exit, stop, or start. Extenuating circumstances beyond my control were always involved, yet more times than not, I was a victim or victor of my own making, achieving or failing because I did or did not put in place the necessary prerequisites to accomplish my desired goals. Now, to be sure, I am not a self-flagellating individual who uses this premise to blame and belittle myself for past decisions and their consequences. No, I am saying that my decisions set the course of my life.

I have now been married to the same woman, the mother of my children, for over twenty-five years. That relationship decision has set the climate of my life much like a thermostat on a heating system sets the temperature in a room. In keeping with this concept, persons in a room may not know that the temperature is affected by the smallest incremental movement of a drop of mercury in a device at an unnoticed location. In spite of its invisibility to the inhabitants of the room it still affects the comfort level of everyone present. Similarly, my key relationship decision, and many other decisions I have made, affect me and all those around me. Good results are a direct reflection of my ability to think through, discern correctly, and move succinctly from the trajectory of my last decision.

We All Have Our Own Unique Decision-Making Process

Sometimes we have to make a small decision such as choosing a new hair style or whether to paint the bedroom sky blue or periwinkle. Other times decisions are larger, such as whether or not to move to a new city for a better job, or to keep an old one. We each have our own style and ways to approach the decision-making process. Some of us tend to know exactly what we want. We make up our minds quickly and act immediately. Others prefer to deliberate for a long time, weighing all the angles and options before deciding what to do.

Reflect -- Discern -- Decide

Good decision making in relationships, business, anything, results from a process of reflection -- discernment -- decision. This truth recently emerged in a new light for me. I have had the same COO in my for-profit compan << less