You need to take into account how your decisions affect the lives of others. At the same time, there are decisions you make that require you to be selfish. If you always let other people determine your direction, you’ll never end up where you want to be.
Life is a complicated process of trying to figure out what the hell we’re supposed to do. There are infinite decisions we have to make and ones we could’ve made instead. Each decision comes with its own set of snowball effects that lead to any number of unpredictable outcomes.
So in a world full of decisions and the intention of finding the right path for yourself, how do you make the right choices?
Wegmans is closing their coffee shops and switching to self-service… what should I do? Should I just quit now, stick it out, lower my hours, train in a new department? There are a ton of options which make it difficult to choose.
I care about my coworkers, so I take them into account. I cannot simply quit and leave the burden fully on them. They’d be given more hours than manageable and more stress than anyone deserves. At the same time, I need to do what’s best for me and my future.
I could choose to stay and help by taking on as many hours and responsibilities as possible. Doing so would relieve some of the stress on my coworkers and managers. At the same time, why should I invest so much energy into somewhere that’s going to replace me?
Right here and now, I know I want to pursue coffee. I love working in coffee shops and making all the drinks. Fortunately, I’m in a position where I have another job that offers me those things and to a degree that I enjoy more. After being offered more hours at my second job, I had to make a choice. Give Wegmans the help they need or focus on my own interests and progress.
So I chose to be selfish and take the opportunity I was given. I changed my availability at Wegmans and accepted the additional hours at my new job. My choice focused on my happiness and future more than the short-term gain Wegmans would receive from my staying.
It’s important to take others into account when you make decisions. You can’t do only what’s best for you and let other people deal with the repercutions. Some choices require sacrifice if it means benefitting the lives of others. But sometimes it’s better to be selfish. When it comes to your long-term happiness and progress, you are most important.
So weigh out your options before blindly doing what you think you want. Consider the impact on others and yourself. Take all things into account and make an educated decision. If in some cases that means being selfish, then do it.
May 29, 2023
