Decisions and choices

“The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts.” - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

This week marks one year since my past employer announced the closure of one of our six farming units. We had been working on solutions to the rapid escalation of feed and energy pricing following the Ukraine invasion, a couple of years of drought in Manitoba, and productivity shortcomings from budgeted results. Unknown to the operational management team (or any of us) the May 5, 2022 announcement of the imminent closure of our Lundar Breeding Unit was just the start of an extreme restructuring; ultimately, the bankruptcy of the entire company was only 3 months away.

Some of this week I've reflected on the changes we went through since that announcement and the individual decisions our staff have had to make as a result. My team went from about 80 staff and managers to less than 20 people within eight months. The majority of us are in new jobs and careers after working on a project many of us felt we'd be involved with for decades more.

One of my left turns was joining a coaching and accountability group earlier this year for people undertaking new projects or goals. My daily work now is far more solo and individual so a group like this helps me interact with other people who are also doing new and difficult things.

One of my group colleagues shared a TED-X talk by Caroline Myss, an internationally renowned speaker in the fields of human consciousness, spirituality and mysticism, health, energy medicine, and the science of medical intuition. Not topics I would have gravitated to earlier in life.

The focus of her talk was how choices and decision shape our lives. As I reflect on my current career decisions and recent personal family choices I've made I found her talk helpful and powerful.

A summary of the five decisions Ms. Myss asks us to make:

1) Decide to live with integrity - It is not enough to say or believe one is good, live and act with integrity. "Liars never heal".

2) Decide not to pass on suffering, only wisdom - Life is not fair, fate is a fantasy and we must accept this. Don't allow yourself to become defeated, gain wisdom in the defeat. Find wisdom rather than live in woe.

3) Decide to take risks - Everyone will have a moment as we diminish with age where we reflect on regrets and visit the life we wish we had. Take risks. So far in your life, how many fears actually came true? Ask yourself, "How many good things in my life did I actually cause or create?" Some of the best things that happen to us are chance or serendipity. Further, don't look backward for guidance, there is nothing to be found.

4) Choose new words - What words do you wish to banish from your head forever? What are the words you say to yourself when you wake up or at negative points in the day? Are you angry, not enough, or critical? Are you critical of others? The three words we are asked to remove are: Blame, Deserve, and Entitled.

5) Choose to bless the day - Because you ARE. "This day in my life will never come again." Remove every bitter taste there is and replace it with gratitude and love.

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Not your typical business advice today...

Or is it?