It Is Dangerous And Sinful To Rush Into The Unknown

From the desk of Gary Mason

     I recently turned 43 and with that I've come to realize some important truths from lessons learned.  One of these lessons would be about taking my time with what I do and having patience.  I tell you, I am no longer in a rush to do ANYTHING!  I've adopted the mindset that I will let things come to me instead of me chasing them and I will take my time in making decisions.  Actually, I've had this mindset for awhile but recent events have caused me to reevaluate this process.

     For whatever reason, people seem to think they have the ability to determine MY path.  I guess I am partially to blame for this mad reasoning as I allow people to share their dreams and hopes with me and rarely do I offer any opinions or criticisms.  The issue is, some of their hopes and dreams involve me, sometimes with me playing a crucial role in their plans.  Honestly, the reason why I don't say much about their plans is because I am stuck in awe that they've conceived such plans without actually consulting me about them.  I mean, if you are creating a business, one of the most important steps is to plan.  If you are including a business partner, the business partner has to be involved with the process.  This to me is a no brainer.

     If you are involving others in some endeavor it would be wise to get them on board with the plan before you start making commitments.  Otherwise you are being presumptuous and risk your plans failing.  I've had this happen, were a person assumed I was on board with their plans and when their plans failed they turned around and placed the blame on me for it's failure.  Sadly, I wasn't amazed at the outcome or the reaction as these things are fairly predictable.  I am amazed however, at the audacity people have when making assumptions instead of getting concrete confirmations to plans made.

     So, when I am confronted by anyone who has a plan that involves me, I let them put their idea on the table, I carefully listen to the details, and I assess the possibilities as they are speaking.  Then I await the most important part, and that is them officially asking me if I would like to be a part of their endeavor.  Until that happens, assuming I will be a part of the plan is a mistake.

     Finally, if all the criteria has been met, I take my time in making a decision as I like to have as much information as possible before making a commitment.  Rushing into anything can have dire results and I simply can not afford to make errors at this juncture in my life.