Emotions have always had this sneaky way of taking over, it would push logic to the back seat, and take over as the driver, driving us down the roads we never planned to travel, cause I do wonder why we make decisions based on how we feel rather than what we know. Well, when it comes to decision making, our emotions also do play a great role, it can help be our best friend and our worst enemy at the same time.
I dont know if you have, but there are countless times I have made choices in the heat of the moment and later regretted it. There was a time like that, I was so angry, I rarely get angry, but this time, I was pained, this friend was the only person who knew what I was facing then, then I found our it became the talk of the whole area, and it was a student area, I got angry and betrayed, so I cut him off completely without even hearing his side of the story. At that moment, it felt like I was protecting myself from more hurt. But later, when the anger faded, loneliness set in, and I couldn’t help but wonder if I had thrown away a friendship/relationship that could have been saved with just one honest conversation. I learned that while emotions make us feel justified, they rarely/hardly give us the full picture.
Not just anger, there are times happiness can mess with our reasonings too, all this are from experiences, there was a time I was caught in the happiness, I did not take my time to really think it through, I said yes to a business proposal simply because I was excited and wanted to make quick money. I didn’t check the facts or weigh the risks. It felt right, not until I found out I had lost my savings that I invested to a scam. I learnt back then that, excitement/happiness can blind us as much as anger or fear can.
And also, there are times when emotions hold us back from making decisions. It’s terrifying how emotions can paralyze us and render us let's say...useless and stuck in certain situations. I’ve seen people stay in toxic relationships just because they’re scared of being alone, or scared of losing the person, they kept holding onto memories that have long faded and ignore the pain that is now their reality. I get it though, it’s not easy to let go, especially when your heart and mind refuse to agree.
Of the hardest decisions I have had to make was to walk away from someone I loved deeply because I knew we weren’t good for each other. It wasn't easy, and I kept on doing a second guess and having a second thought. But now, I realized it was the decision for my future, growth and peace of my mind. There are times when the most loving and kindest thing you can do for yourself is to put your well-being above temporary feelings.
Being emotionally mature does not mean you won't feel anything, it just means you are able to acknowledge it(your emotions) without let it(your emotions) make decisions for you. You are able to pause, weigh things and ask yourself if the choice is right, you allow your mind and heart talk, but you give room for thinking and allow your logic to make the final say.
If peradventure, you are struggling with decision-making. Take a breath, step back, don't decide yet, think, all your emotion to settle before making choices, because that choice could shape your future. We should be careful of making permanent decisions based on temporary feelings. Also, don't be afraid of mistakes, we all make one at one point or the other, mistakes are always a part of the journey, what matters is that you learn from them and grow stronger.
Thanks for stopping by, also, let your story out, it just might be the lesson someone else needs.