Get a NEW IDEA—Maybe It’s time to try something new
By Sally Tippett Rains
Today we are going to talk about decision making. When you get an idea in your mind, sometimes it’s just good to consider it for a minute and then choose whether you will do it or not. The whole thing of having something looming over our heads can really stress us out.
Why did I call my new idea the Dream and Wonder Room? I couldn’t figure out how to entertain our children with cancer during a pandemic. I dreamed about it, I wondered if it could happen—and then I took action. Sometimes our ideas are meant to be acted on. Sometimes they aren’t. We can usually feel it in our gut if it’s the wrong thing.
Let’s consider the Dream and Wonder Room idea. It was a bit of a crazy idea to ask my sister to turn her extra room into an activity room where we could have safe interaction with our families of children with cancer– one family at a time. Why should she say yes? It would be a lot of work and would tear up her house while we were working on it. But when I asked her she immediately liked the idea and everything seemed to move smoothly when we started working on it. Things fell into place.
If you have a new idea and it won’t hurt anyone, if you feel it’s right, you might as well try it. If there is love in your heart when you are considering all sides of a decision, that love will guide your mind to where you should go– if you do it with prayer.
But what about those big decisions like what road to go down for medical treatment, or if you should switch jobs, or college majors, how your children will attend school and anything else on your mind? You know what I mean, the decisions that just loom over you and eat at you. There are ways to know if you are on the right path and the biggest one is to go to a quiet place and pray about it.
Sometimes I just have to “let go and let God.” I pray about what I should do and I get the feeling that yes this the right thing to do. Other times I think maybe it’s right, but I’m not sure. If it is something you have given considerable attention to and you feel you are making the best decision you can at the time with what you know—do it!
We all make mistakes so the “new idea” may not be the right one as far as forever, but maybe it’s the best decision for right now. If things aren’t going the way you want to, maybe it’s time to try something new. When we stay doing the same thing because we are afraid to move ahead, we can sometimes get stuck in a rut. Fear can do that to us. Are you afraid to go anywhere or do anything? Are you afraid for yourself? Afraid for your family?
Is missing someone causing you to change your way of doing things? What happened to your happy, carefree life you used to have? Maybe it’s time to get a new idea.
So while we all face times when we feel we can’t go on, perhaps if we get a new idea or a new way of looking at something it could help us keep moving.
Every day in many ways we can put positive energy out there. You start the minute you wake up in the morning. If someone says “Good morning how are you this morning?” Try saying “I’m doing great” and whether or not your body thinks that, maybe your mind will begin to think that.
You get to a certain age where the answer to “how are you doing?” can be “I’ve got these aches and pains.” Your new idea is don’t say it. Maybe if you don’t say it you won’t focus on it and it won’t be so bad.
“Great day in the morning!”– say it every day when you first wake up. Thank God for your blessings and then head for the coffee or whatever you drink in the morning.
There is always a way to do something and your new ideas might just come in the most unexpected ways.
Here is a story I used in my book, Choose Happy; Find Contentment in Any Situation: When Debbie and Ross Hammond were told by the hospital that there was no more hope for their son whose liver was failing, they started researching other hospitals and found a doctor who specialized in what they needed.
They took their son Tyler to another state to have a multiple transplant surgery. He recently graduated from college in New York and is now living a normal life and in the work force.
“One thing that helped us through our tough times was distraction,” said Debbie Hammond. “I was recently at a charity baseball game and could not help but remember when Tyler played on that team. He was saved by people who loved on him and tried to make him feel important and valued as a team member-keeping him active and distracted. This literally kept him healthy and alive till he got called for his transplant in 2010.”
When you are faced with a decision that is nothing like you would have ever expected you might get gripped with fear. That is normal. Decisions are part of life but they can also cause us to almost shut down with anxiety. The smallest things can become stressful.
Deciding on a new outfit, experiencing new cuisines, buying a new car or new house can all be extremely stressful, especially for those of us who can’t even decide what to make for dinner. But after going over all the options, most of us, even those who tend to be indecisive, survive these decisions, even if later we wish we had chosen something else. Case in point: the hairstyle you chose for Prom. So doin’t be afraid to make a decision.
If you have a decision to be made, gather the information you need, pray about it and then MAKE the decision so you can get off the hamster wheel of indecision.
Sometimes just making the decision can make you feel so much better—take a load off. For instance when a person gets diagnosed with a disease. They already had that disease, the diagnosis just gives them the opportunity to get a plan to be on the way to getting better. We get so upset when faced with a diagnosis but if we look at it this way we can see the opportunities for success in our next phase of life.
But what happens when you are suddenly confronted with the possibility of a big change that will be life changing, life altering, and will affect all of your family and friends forever. Instead of being fearful, look at it with a new idea: it could be a great adventure.
Look down at your feet. They are right where they are supposed to be. You have made some great decisions and you will make them again. Get that confidence in yourself back. Try new things. Choose Happy.
Bible Verse:
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” ~ Isaiah 41:10
Quote:
“You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action.” —Tony Robbins
Sally Tippett Rains is a motivational speaker, inspirational writer and author of 13 books, including Choose Happy; Find Contentment in Any Situation. She is the volunteer Executive Director of Rainbows for Kids and content manager for STLSportsPage.com.
Fifteen Keys to a Happy Life
F orward- Keep moving forward
I nitiative- Take the initiative and start things.
N ow- Do it now, live in the now
D etermination- Stay determined to making it
C ommunity –Accept the help of others
O ptimism- Don’t give up on yourself or others
N ew Ideas- Maybe it’s the time to try new ideas
T enacity- Stay in the game, you can do it
E nergy – Do what you need to do to have energy.
N ormalcy – Embrace your “new normal”
T rust – Trust yourself and others.
M indfulness –Don’t worry about the future.
E ncouragement Encourage yourself and others.
N utrition and Health – Take care of yourself.
T ranquility – Learn to just be at peace.
For 15 weeks we will look at one key to having a happy life.