One of the areas I am really working on is my impulsiveness.  I can become so caught up in the moment and excitement, that I rush into situations.  This can easily lead to mistakes and “damn it” moments where I have regrets.  In an effort to prevent these mishaps, I have implemented my own tactic of Stop, Look and Listen.

Stop

No matter how big or miniscule the situation, I make myself stop and take time to think through my next steps.  It is important for me to ensure that my decision is truly in my best interests.

I recently received an offer to take over an existing business.  The younger, more foolish me would have rushed into the opportunity; only thinking about the potential money I could make.

This time around, I took it to God in prayer immediately.  Any decision from this point forward initiates an immediate prayer to my Heavenly Father.  I stop whatever I am doing and just have a conversation with Him about what is on the table.  I am working hard to fulfill my purpose in life and walk in faith.  If it is His will, He will tell me.

If something does not feel right, I refuse to nurture it, waste time on it and I simply remove it from my life altogether.

Look

When this opportunity presented itself, I knew I needed to look outside of myself for the right answer.  I reached out to people whose opinions I value.  I also conducted extensive research on everything involved in potentially taking on this endeavor.

I have a new found passion for meditation.  It is in those quite moments that I soul search to bring clarity about my direction and decisions I need to make.

It is imperative to keep your eyes wide open in all facets of life.  Always, always take the time to look so you are never caught unaware.

Listen

My last step is to listen to my gut; it’s rarely wrong.  After stopping, looking and finally listening, my gut told me this deal was not for me.  It would detract from my writing and bring about unnecessary stress to maintain a business that is really not in line with my purpose.

I spent a lot of years of my life struggling to make the right decisions.  With this self imposed method, I am able to make better decisions that are truly in my best interest.  It is far too easy to get caught up in the noise of the world, so we all must Stop, Look and Listen.

~ Mara Prose