Everyday, you make 1,000s of decisions.
Some are simple: When to schedule meetings. What to have for lunch. To play volleyball or soccer this season.
Others are agonizing: Which city to live in. Who to spend your free time with. Which career to pursue.
You spend precious time waffling between ideas, asking other people for their opinions, paying for more degrees, waiting for a sign…
You waste energy feeling anxious and unsure.
And even when you make some decisions, you still wonder “am I doing the right thing?”.
What if you could easily make every decision in less than 2 minutes? No matter the magnitude?
When faced with tricky decisions, you just need to ask yourself 1 question…
How many people can I positively impact?
Last year, I found myself with a tough decision to make—
Stay working my desk job, or start working as a wellness coach full time.
My job made some people happy: my parents, a handful of colleagues, and a few students I worked with. And that’s important. But when I started to realize the impact I could make if I stepped into personal development 100%, I saw 1000s of people benefiting from my decision.
In The Book of Joy, the Dalai Lama emphasizes the interconnectedness of all humanity, and the power of shared joy.
Basically, we get happy by making others happy.
So stop worrying about what’s right for YOU, and start looking to positively impact as many people as possible. When you shift your focus onto making other people happy, and making the world a better place, you forget about your own strife.
“Most of us do not wake up thinking, Who can I help today?”
Most of us wake up thinking: What am I going to have for breakfast? How long until I get to come back to bed? Do these pants make me look fat?
We get caught up in thinking about ourselves, our options, and our own butts. And it’s exhausting.
It is so much more energizing to put your focus outward: “Could I help them open that door?” “What if I bought her coffee?”. Try it.
The sum of happiness is greater than the parts.
What if we all made decisions for the greater good? What if every action was an attempt to make the world a better place? What if every decision took into account not only ourselves, but everyone around us?
You can start practicing this today. Take the simple decision: When to schedule meetings. How many people can you make happy with a 7am meeting? 10:30am? 4pm? Choose a time that will help as many people show up as their best (and see how it makes you feel in return).
Harder decisions: Should I quit my job?
Consider the people you work with. Who are the people in your life that may depend on your service or income or friendship? Then think about your potential to serve in other ways. How could a new opportunity help more people?
It’s not that there is a RIGHT answer. It’s the exercise of shifting your focus from your own gratification, to a greater good that really matters.
When we operate with the intention to share joy, we are right.
Originally published at www.dreamlifeisreallife.com