Weekly Insights for Small Business

Choices

by Bill Bayer

Choices define life. Good choices improve the lives of those we love. Bad choices can cause pain and hurt to those we love. Too often choices are made with no thought about the impact they can have, either on us or those around us.

Choices. Some are good. Some are bad. All have an impact on others as well as on those who make the choices.

All of the following things have happened to me, my family, a client, or a client's family in the last few months. These are examples of choices-both good and bad-colliding with the reality of life.

An eighth grade boy decides to study for his finals. Unlike last year, he cares about how he does. He gets A's and B's.

A recently married young woman decides that her six-month-old marriage is not what she expected, so she chooses to distance herself from her new husband.

A young man in his early twenties opts to abuse prescription drugs, unconcerned about the impact on his family and their future.

A young woman's horse is carelessly allowed to play in the pasture and suffers a deep bone bruise that renders him lame.

A mother, in the sandwich stage of life, commits to meet with and serve her own aging mother each week, balancing her role as a daughter with her life as a mom.

A man intervenes and puts his younger brother in drug rehab, hoping it will cause him to change his way of life.

A business owner ponders whether or not to declare bankruptcy so he can reject an onerous franchise agreement, and preserve the hope of providing a job for his employees and a life for his family.

A recent high school graduate can't find part time employment. As an alternative, he does a variety of indoor and outdoor projects for several homeowners, and makes good money because he is such a hard worker.

A father watches his recently adult children be sobered by the challenges of life after college. Bills, busyness, frustrations of a job, and the challenge of balancing work and home become their daily companions.

A grandmother calls to say she is too tired to celebrate Mother's Day, deeply disappointing her grandson and his wife who prepared all week for dinner on Mother's Day.

A son honors his deceased father with an annual barbecue contest, remembering his dad's love of barbecue. More importantly, though, he is honoring his dad's excellence as a father.

A young man decides to make a drug deal to feed his addiction. He is seemingly unaware of the risk and the danger and also unconcerned about the impact on the lives of those who love him.

A hard-working and resourceful young man gets a job offer at much greater pay. More importantly, though, he finds long term opportunity and, finally, economic reward for his hard work and commitment each day.

A couple in their mid-sixties contemplates their potential retirement. Can they retire next year as planned? Or have the recession and the loss of stock market and real estate value pushed retirement into the future?

A single Mom scrambles to raise her four children. She struggles to balance their needs, her limited financial resources, the endless temptations her kids face, and her ability to make the best choices for all of them each day.

A business man doesn't want to look at his financials. He knows in his gut that they will show he is losing money and things are getting worse, not better. But time is running out. It is time to make a choice.

Choices define life. Good choices improve the lives of those we love. Bad choices can cause pain and hurt those we love.

What choices do you need to consider today?

Think. Then make good choices.

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