Who decides what we measure when weighing decisions?
On the surface, I’ll bet you immediately say that YOU do. I sincerely hope that is true…and let’s assume that it is…where does the input come from that provides the perspective from which you make your decisions? Because of what I do everyday in my Million Lives endeavor, I see people constantly making decisions that boggle my mind. Of course, I am human (at least I believe I am) and I am sure I make decisions that boggle other people’s minds too. What is a right or wrong decision?
It’s perspective driven isn’t it? Certainly there are rights and wrongs morally, ethically, and legally…but let’s assume that the decisions I am talking about are moral, ethical, and legal…that’s the platform for this block of thoughts. My perspective will drive my decisions and your perspective will drive your decisions. So…I am going to give you MY perspective and you can then do what you would like with it, which could include ignore, discard, ponder, dismiss, adopt, forward, respond…or whatever else.
I see people making decisions about their health that I cannot understand. They refuse to spend money on things that could help them stay healthy and active, or overcome disease or minor issues that are affecting their quality of life day to day. They say they cannot afford to spend $100 a month on items for their health. Yet, they spend five dollars a day on things that hurt their health and detract from their quality of life. They have a SMART phone and cable TV and eat in restaurants frequently. What will chemo or an angioplasty or a lifetime of pharmaceutical drugs cost them in the coming years?
They are measuring the decision on dollars and not LIFE.
They are measuring the decision on dollars and not LIFE. I think their unit of measure is out of whack. I think about things in terms of what is the impact on my quality of life in the big picture. The health one is the easiest because it has all aspects of gratification. When I make the right decisions for my health (I invest a lot of money in my health) I see immediate benefit in terms of my day to day life, because I am full of energy and have a positive outlook as a result, and I get to see the long term benefits also in that I don’t have to use medications or have limitations in my life based on health. I get the benefits now and maybe an extra 20 to 40 YEARS (God willing) of fun and productivity over a life that functions under the other choice.
Measure things in terms of quality of life and you will see an entirely new decision matrix occur…one that will move health and relationships into the forefront…and you will find that in the end…there is plenty of money for other things and is money that is readily available to a happy, healthy, vibrant person.
