A monster storm can pack valuable insights for future decisions.
Life is risky business and risks are easily ignored.
A good example is city leaders in Houston.
They ignored catastrophic flooding risks and Hurricane Harvey devastated thousands in 2017.
A few days ago, the culprit was 80 mph winds knocking over thousands of trees and power lines.
1. Courage for good decisions
Harris county flood control director, Arthur Storey, knows his city is vulnerable to monster storms.
“I knew enough this was going to happen and I was not smart enough, bold enough to fight the system, the politics, and stop it.” Arthur Storey, Dallas Morning News, 9/06/2017
Storey’s neighborhood floods all the time.
And he has all the facts and statistics that this will happen again and again.
Everyone has regrets over decisions made and not made. I have my share.
But, this recent storm in Houston made me curious if a formula exists for making decisions that minimize catastrophic disasters.
2. Better decisions by weighing likely outcomes
“The prudent see danger and take refuge. But the simple keep going and suffer for it.” Proverbs 27:12
The ancient proverb confirms two simple lessons.
- Underweight obsession.
- Overweight direction.
We make bad decisions because we deceive ourselves easily.
I love this house even though it’s in a flood plain!
Or . . .
Yes this giant tree will crush me and my house but the branches are beautiful!
Isn’t it amazing how folks voluntarily live in a flood plain and don’t trim their overgrown trees?
“The obsession to demand that things go the way we want them to go is one of the greatest bondages in human society today.” Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline
Back away from obsession and see the direction of likely scenarios.
Act on direction. Not obsession.
3. Interpret your way to success
Landing in good places is tricky business.
But, sunny beaches are likely with lively interpretation.
“The fruit of experience, the wholeness of life, requires good interpretation. A good football quarterback is a good interpreter. So is the live motorcyclist. He scans the field or the road, recognizes half a dozen problems at once, makes quick and appropriate judgements, moves deftly and adroitly, and he is in the clear.” William McNamara, The Human Adventure
Interpretation unifies the multiple storms crossing our paths with wise observations.
This makes for pretty good decisions.
What lessons have you learned about making good decisions?
This is outstanding Steve… This wisdom shows the path to action….It is incumbent on us to take these insights and act…Self-discipline is required – I have some limbs that shade the house, but could crush us…Let’s see if I follow through….?
Believe it or not I have a giant Hackberry tree right on the northwest corner of my house. It has a fungus growing at the base and I hate to lose it but I just ordered an estimate to remove it. Great to hear from you Jeff.