Walk in the Park

Decision making is much like like a walk in the park. The decision itself should be like the ideal day at the park, a crisp and sunny day with an occasional cool breeze that has one purpose only, to sooth the soul. As you stroll along the park you see your traditional playground items, teeter totter, slide, and swing set. Each of these represents a process of making decisions.

At first you start with the teeter-totter. Right off the bat you have a problem, it requires two to make the darn thing work. Decisions should be ours, something we own and are proud to have ownership of. When you base a decision on others, you're not thinking for yourself and won't ever attain the things you aspire. In your mind everything is up and down and back and forth.

Well, that didn't go so well so you move on to the slide. A little more courage now, you alone have climbed a ladder and are about to descend. But this decision has little risk. It's a sure ride to the bottom and the thrill is rather short lived. Also, once you reach the bottom, climbing back up the slide itself is hardly a task. These are decisions you make, but take back after you caught a glimpse of the result. You owned them at one point, but since the result didn't fulfill you enough, you cheated the system and reeled it back.

Finally, you manage the courage to approach the king of the park, the swing set. The momentum you build as you start swinging is the calculation of the decision you are about to take. Once you are at full throttle and at the peak of your swing, when every sensation is pooled in your navel, you make your decision, you let go. Anything can happen in mid-air, but it's how you stick that landing that matters most. That will exemplify the result of your decision.

Once on the ground, there is an empty swing. You can either hop back on and decide for yourself once again, or allow someone else to feel the thrill of life for you.