Jelaineism #27

Jelaineism #27: Playing with the devil's advocate keeps you from playing stupid games.

It's been a while since I came up with a Jelaineism. I don't know what that means... I've prolly grown too dumb to have my own thoughts, or it's possible that I've been letting life get into me so much, that I no longer take time to listen to myself. Oh well, whatever that's about, I'm just glad I'm over it. ü

Anyhoo, playing the devil's advocate is prolly one of my talents. I don't know if being an only child has anything to do with it because until I got 'married,' I didn't really have anyone to talk to, especially when it comes to making important, life-changing decisions. Nonetheless, it's one skill that I'm truly grateful that I have, because seriously, it does keep me (and some friends who've fallen into the trap) from doing stupid things. Oftentimes, we only hear what we want to hear -- I guess that's human nature. But when we start hearing opposing views, of course, there'll be resistance... at least for starters... and then, there'll be doubt. That split-second doubt that gets you thinking, 'Hmmm... Am I sure? Is that really what I want?' And boom! We realize that some decisions are simply more important than others and might need more time to be thought about, you know... percolate a bit.

So to anyone who's going through some decision-making nightmares, breathe... Find someone else to talk to (perhaps a couple of friends, preferably someone who is annoyingly objective or someone a bit in the dark from the entire situation). If you don't have anyone, grab a pen and paper and do a quick pro's and cons list. I know it's a bit of a freaking cliché, but hey, you've got to see the other side somehow. The key is to realize that in every decision, there is another side.

At the end of the day, regardless of the arguments and the brainstorming we've put into it, we just have to accept the decisions we make -- no matter how they turn out. We might regret them, go the other way, eat our own words, but whatever! The important thing is, YOU have made the decision for yourself... no one else. ü