Have you noticed that some people can take bold and effective action
without a lot of deliberation?
Yes, there are certain individuals
you would like to have with you
when a tough decision has to be made right now.
Such as–
you have one brief chance
to accept a job offer across the country.
Or to make it out of a burning building.
Maybe you know someone who can handle stuff like that.
They are confident, audacious, and accurate.
Would you like to become a little more like that?
Let’s DO this!
Made a bold move
Did you ever adopt somebody?
You may have adopted a dog or a cat,
but unless you have actually adopted a child
the answer is probably No.
Me neither, until earlier this year.
I was conversing with a vet in the comment section
of a great writer’s substack (Matt Labash: SlackTide)
that we both subscribe to.
I was deeply moved by several of this vet’s compassionate comments.
He works at a VA hospital and was grieving the loss
of a young vet with PTSD who had killed himself
in the hospital parking lot a few days prior.
He didn’t know the man, but called him his brother.
In a long reply to him I stated: I want to adopt you as my brother.
And he accepted.
He never had a sister.
And me, I’ve got another fine brother.
Gutsy of him to accept, don’t you think?
(Haha he doesn’t know what he’s in for. 🙂
And rather bold of me to ask.
But not out of character.
I often do audacious things like this.
With joy, and without regret.
My exploits turn out well.
But is making a bold and happy decision like this
the equivalent of being a person who can act decisively
in high pressure situations?
No, but it’s excellent preparation.
Every time we make a wise decision that turns out well
we strengthen our trust in our own judgment.
Todd Beamer’s wife Lisa said
that the reason he was able to make a decisive and wise decision
in the extreme pressure of that crucial moment on September 11
was that he had been making wise decisions all his life.
What allows us to move boldly?
Faith.
Faith in the goodness at the core of our being.
Faith in our capability to act on that goodness.
Faced with a challenging situation or decision
it is our faith in the goodness at the core of our identity
that gives us the confidence to be bold.
My decision to adopt that vet came from my core.
The core of me
is that I love the Lord my God with all my heart,
with all my soul, with all my mind, and with all my strength.
And I love my neighbor as myself.
I listen to the Holy Spirit
and go where I am led.
I was led to ask that vet to be my brother.
So I DID.
BOOM. Just like that.
And here we are, brother and sister.
To God be the glory.
But I am not an evangelist.
I am a psychologist.
I only tell you about me
to encourage you to think about you.
So take some time to search your own soul
What is the goodness at the core of you?
What goodness inside you do you believe in?
What faith gives you clarity and confidence
when you need it most?
Think back on a decision
or an action you took in the past
that you are proud of.
One that blessed you, or someone else, or both of you.
What did you say to yourself
that allowed you to do that?
Did you say:
I can DO this.
I trust myself.
I believe in the goodness inside of me.
Years after September 11,
an interviewer asked Lisa Beamer:
If you could have spoken to Todd that day on the plane,
what would you have said to him?
She replied:
What would I wish I had said to him!
I think truly, I would have been very hysterical.
But I guess I wish that I would have been
similar to what Lisa (the phone operator Todd reached)
was to him,
just very calm
and said, you know,
‘Todd, you’re going to do the right thing here.
I trust you.
I love you.
And you’re going to do what you can do
and you’re going to make a difference.’
And so are you
You are going to grow strong in spirit
so that when the time comes to do the right thing
you will.
You’ll do it calmly and boldly
in each moment of decision that you face,
The goodness inside you will lead the way.
Question:
Who do you know who has a lot of goodness inside them
and acts on it?
See if you can spend more time with that person!
Dr. Hall