The Value of Conscious Decisions

               One month with my host family, here in Brazil, and life is beginning to take shape.  I have experienced so much in this short time, and I am extremely aware of how fast time is passing.  It is a constant struggle between simply enjoying the moment and striving to grow from the experience.  Thankfully, I made specific decisions before I came here and those decisions will help balance the outcome of this adventure.  This exchange has made “decision making” a conscious part of my day.  Not just big decisions, but also the little stuff.  I do not want to give any offense to my host and I have standards to uphold for my home; so good decision making skills are a very high priority.  The problem is that real life does not just step aside for priorities.   In this post I will compare the effect of time passing on an individual, revisit the original proposal from my first post, describe my understanding of a conscious decision, tell you the best advice I have found, and hopefully persuade you of the inherent value in making conscious decisions.

There were sixteen months from conception of the idea to study aboard until I boarded a plane in San Antonio...  The time involved in application, competition, acceptance, and gaining legal authority would have been full time work, however, daily life requires a lot of attention, and I had many other concerns that I had spent a huge amount of time planning for.   I kept striving for excellence in the projects I was engaged in, while squeezing spare time to prepare for this trip.  Looking back, I can clearly see the difference in the passage of time depending on my preparation for one project versus the execution of another.  Planning is important, takes a lot of time, and is often hard to get a grip on; especially large projects that are beyond your experiences.  Execution feels like an emergency but should be routine if the planning is done well.   

Presently, here in Brazil, it is more difficult because I am engaged in an event that is bigger than my imagination could understand.  Before my departure, even during the acceptance process, I was consciously setting goals for my year abroad.  There are things I want to understand, to prove, and to bring back home.  Time will be the referee and I expect that the best lessons will be those I came prepared to learn. 

 The experience itself is overwhelming, there is always something new to see or do.  I know I am an Ambassador, but at a basic level I feel like an explorer.  I am excited to meet new people, learn their language, share their culture, and understand them on a personal level.  It feels like there is no time to waste recording the events; especially since, if I decline an opportunity, I may never get another chance to share that encounter.  Thankfully discipline prevails and logic says no explorer is remembered in history who did not take time to record the events.  I try to apply the great truth I learned last year in leadership training, “On the first day of the year, the window of opportunity to do great things that year has already begun to close.”  I did prepare for this year, and I hit the ground running.  Time may be flying by in the execution, but it drags again like a heavy weight in the preparation for next year.  Next year will also arrive with surprise and fantastic adventures; but right now, this blog is an excellent way for me to share an important part of my life, address sustainability for my exchange year abroad, and hopefully be an inspiration for those looking for tools that will help them excel.

Regardless of time’s relative passage, depending on preparation or execution, there remains the question about quantity of time.  Some amount has passed and some amount is left.  Such a short period for so much to happen, or so little left to enjoy.  I can grieve or take advantage of the amazing potential.  Either way I look at time it causes many strong emotions.  But the strongest is to go back to the beginning. I feel compelled to go back to the rule, from my first post, of understanding the beginning of an endeavor.  Depending on context, this could be; the root of a problem, the goal of a project, or the meaning/reason for life.   However you refer to it, it is the important part that often gets lost in the noise of life.  Every day there are new places to go, people to meet, and friends to hang out with.  We are all new to each other; they are interested in seeing my reactions and I am striving to understand the punch line. 

It is exciting, fast paced, and totally exhilarating.  But I have responsibilities and those have to abide by certain priorities.  Certainly immersing myself in this culture, my host family, and learning to communicate are high priorities.  Even my family, friends and community in the U.S. are right up there at the top of my list.  But on the long term list of goals is self improvement so that I will be better able to help others.  And despite how fast a thinker you may be, that does involve some quality quiet time and reflection to separate the fun from the important.   When you are 5,159.6 miles away from home, your best hope for success is that your decisions or choices are sturdy ones that were produced from a thorough understanding of the endeavor itself.  Otherwise you will become easily sidetracked and miss out on many opportunities available for learning/growing.

Decision making is an important part of leadership.  It is also a crucial part of everyday life.  Consciously making decisions has the value of reducing long term negatives and increasing the positives.  I have been taught all my life that every choice has pros and cons, and if I fully understand them, I will probably make the better decision.  Many important decisions that I have been allowed to make also came with the responsibility for the success or failure of that choice.  Over time I have learned that considering choices from a good explorer’s view of who, what, where, when, and how provides a good starting point for future success.  The process is time consuming and your reaction may naturally be that it is a waste of time.  The consequences of the decision may not appear to deserve so close attention.  Sometimes we just have to learn “the hard way.”  But then again, life would be too easy if we could accept certain facts as truth.  I also understand that when suggestions fail, proof will normally succeed.  So my proof is that if you pick anything in life that is causing you trouble today, and work the situation backward to its origin, you will find a choice.  Hind sights are always easier, but give it a try.  Not every situation will result in a different decision; those will give you the confidence to continue through the hard stuff because the decision was good.  But, those that you recognize would have been different if you had known the; who, what, where, when, and how should convince you that the time spent preparing for a decision is worth the effort.  It is almost like having hind sight before the commitment is made.

Regardless of your preference for analyzing decisions, beforehand or afterward; here is the best advice I have found.   Teenagers must take responsibility for their decisions/choices.  They must understand why they made those decisions/choices.  They must know what they want from those decisions/choices.  They must identify who can help them, and they must be resolute that the “where” and “when” is everywhere and always. It is always Showtime.  If not, they may find themselves not knowing how to move forward without being pushed in the wrong direction, by an outside force. Thank you mom and pappy and all of my amazing mentors out there who taught me how to find/follow my own desires and then helped me refine them and gave me the tools I needed to be who I am today. Every day I thank God that I am able to take on this challenge, learn/grow from it, and hopefully share those valuable lessons in the future.

As the first month of my exchange passes into unforgettable memories, and my daily routine is beginning to become routine; looking backwards is a natural habit.  How did I get here and where am I going?  The answers give me encouragement that I am on the right track, and comfort that what I still cannot see ahead will be manageable.  That is the real value of conscious decisions.