Are you tiptoeing around the options?

I sometimes find myself tiptoeing around the options, examining them carefully, as though touching them or trying them is against the rules. Maybe you’ve been there — trying to make a decision without the advantage (and it’s a big one) of trying the options.

I have learned that it’s faster to rearrange the furniture and see how I like it than it is to stand there wondering, weighing all the options. There’s a really good chance that I’m going to try it before making a final decision. So, why spend too much time and energy belaboring it?

We’re continually faced with choices — little ones (some of which have a big impact) and life-changing ones. And sometimes we have to do something to decide on an option, a direction, the next step. Life is to be lived as well as contemplated.

I believe in solitude — there are things that can only be seen and heard in solitude. But there are also lessons that may never be learned short of action. Don’t be afraid to fall on your butt if that’s what it takes to get the lesson or the prize.

Don’t be afraid to try something new, to visit a foreign place — whether it’s across the street or the planet. Don’t be afraid to experience a new person. Sometimes experience is a more effective and efficient teacher than contemplation. It’s okay to try something, to experience something, to enjoy something … without committing to it.

You can enjoy getting your feet wet without diving into the water. But if you’re afraid to get your feet wet, you may never know if you want to dive in. You don’t have to figure out if you want to spend the afternoon in the water without testing the water. You get to decide how much of it you want to enjoy.

If you can’t decide if you’re interested, don’t spend too much time trying to figure it out. Kiss him. If you still can’t decide, stop. Don’t be afraid to say yes. And don’t be afraid to say no.

There’s no wrong answer — but there are lots of answers to choose from. And there are lots of questions waiting. So, go ahead and get started.

You can’t get to the next step by contemplating the first one. LIVE life a step at a time. Stop tiptoeing and give falling on your butt a shot. You don’t actually have to fall; but if you do, you’ll be in good company.