From: The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.
Hi folks, welcome!
I love solving problems logically, but logic isn’t always the answer. A balance between reason and feelings is probably the way to go, and generally, at the end of the day, I suspect (though my logic circuits protest), feelings win out.
Many years ago I had a choice of jobs, both great, one in the beautiful little town of Amboise, in the center of France, the other in the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA, where we were enticed by the beauty of the mountains and the Outer Banks. We solved the problem by combining reason (an analysis involving the whole family) with emotion (who loved what the most). When I say we included all of us in the decision-making process, I mean the the kids (8, 10 12) too! This experience taught me a lesson that has stayed with me for life – we would have asked the cat if she could (?) answer, but she refused to say a word.
How to decide wisely between two good (or not so good) choices, when so many variables are involved? This is the stuff of life!
Many years ago I made a really bad decision based purely on the emotion of the moment, and lived to regret it; but I learned from it later. Many more years later I had to make another momentous life-changing choice. I remembered the earlier faux pas, so I applied logic, and only logic. This lead to an equally disastrous situation, which was fortunately soon corrected as feelings kicked in with a vengeance, and finally took over.
Now I try to balance these important life guides, reason and passion, but overall I think emotions can be more reliable IF they are preceded by a careful analysis of the situation.
How do you decide? Your decisions will define your life, my friends, like it or not! Which makes me wonder, “Do we have free will?”
I love to wonder, don’t you?
-k @FitOldDog
So what was the dance ?
I have written about this:
Pre-destiny and choice
Things are just as they are
Each ought do what they can
Some say fate’s in the hand’s of God
And not the hands of man
Things are just as they are
Some will do what they do
They may think they’re the hands of God
And right when they wrong you
When deadly deeds are done
All ought do what they can
For fate’s not all the hand of God
Pre-destined in a plan
Free will is there as well
In much of what we do
That’s our fate from the hands of God
To choose is up to you
To have choice is our fate
Each must do what they can
Free choice is from the hands of God
Pre-destined in a plan
Pre-destined then to choose
We should not make a fuss
Some may think they’re the hand of God
And right when they wrong us
To have choice is not bad
Nor good beyond our ken
Badness is not the hand of God
But wrong choices of men
Now what will be will be
So when we right a wrong
We may think we’re the hand of God
And justice makes us strong
But who are we to judge
Each must do what they can
Justice is in the hands of God
And we don’t know his plan
For as we right a wrong
New wrongs we may well do
Vengeance is in the hands of God
It’s just not up to you
Things are just as they are
Each should do what they can
Some say fates in the hands of God
And not the hands of man
So predestined to choose
With choice our destiny
We don’t know if we win or lose
So what will be will be
© T. Morgan 2003: Form “The Saga of Child Aethelwulf”
Fourth to last line should be:
“Predestined then to choose”
Most of the rest is about how I composed it.