Honesty, Humility And The Right Choice

Rahm Emanuel – Chief of Staff during President Obama’s first term - admitted to the mistake the core executive made of letting the bankers off the hook who were central to the housing crash during that time. In an interview, he said if he could do that over again, he’d “slap them”. The decision of President Obama’s to let those bankers off the hook while many ordinary people suffered generated a long-lasting resentment and a sense of betrayal, and led to the formation of the Tea Party.  The Tea Party was the foundation of the MAGA movement.

What he said was, to me – the right answer. It generated hope in me that if he were to become the next President of the United States, American citizens and the world would have an honest leader representing the United States.

In my ordinary everyday life, I’ve encountered choices that – while not as world-changing as the above example, were still monumental to me. Recently, for instance, I had to decide between 2 things I wanted very much. Both had the potential of impacting the direction of my professional life. Even after the weeks I spent agonizing over which to choose, once I finally let my mind rest, the right answer almost instantly became obvious. I knew it was the right answer and had that validated soon after – my body relaxed, my mind went quiet, and I was able to get on with my day.

Finding the right answer isn’t actually very hard, as long as we are honest with ourselves, and humble enough to let that honesty speak.

Quote of the Week

I am convinced that every effort must be made in childhood to teach the young to use their own minds. For one thing is sure: If they don't make up their minds, someone will do it for them.

-        Eleanor Roosevelt

How ethics can help you make better decisions

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Maryanne Nicholls is a Registered Psychotherapist.  To find out more, gain access to her weekly newsletter, meditations and programs, sign up at www.thejoyofliving.co . 

If you’re interested in the topic of avoiding burnout for people who do too much, you may be interested in checking out my youtube channel.