The Three Hardest Decisions Leading You to Uncommon Success

What if uncommon success depends less on what you achieve and more on the difficult decisions you make along the way?

A naval officer faced one of those decisions late one night.

Another ship was approaching.

The helmsman told the officer, “Sir, there are lights ahead.”

The officer said, “Radio that ship and tell them to alter their course ten degrees north.”

And so he did. “Alter your course ten degrees north.”

The answer came back. “Your order is respected but disregarded. You alter your course ten degrees south.”

The officer was incensed, so he got on the radio and said, “I am an Admiral, and this is a battleship. You alter your course ten degrees north.”

There was a long pause, and an answer came back.

“With all due respect, Admiral, I disregard your order. You alter your course to ten degrees south, and you better hurry. I am a lighthouse. Any questions?”

Of course, the Admiral followed suit. Quickly.

That lighthouse points to three decisions that can change the direction of our lives.

We can ignore them. But making them may put us on the path to uncommon success.

1. Choose Humility

Culture tells us we should be captain of our own ship.

But much of life remains beyond our control:

• disease
• enemies
• weather
• markets

But God does. He judges evil and mitigates disaster.

“When I select an appointed time, it is I who judge with equity. When the earth shakes and all its inhabitants; I keep its pillars firm.”
— Ps 75: 2-3

You and I are no more independent of God than…

• a diver from an air tank
• the Earth from the Sun

He can guide us through circumstances we cannot control when we follow His path.

Why this requirement? Free will. God doesn’t cajole you.

On the other hand, entitlement, which is the decision to be your own boss, fights against the dependent creature you are.

Humility depends on God, the Lighthouse running this world.

Humility embraces God as the Creator and who you are as His beautiful creature.

When you fight this, things don’t go well. But when you embrace your Creator, He supports you.

“Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.”
— Is 50:7

2. Choose Connection

As I celebrate my 70th birthday, I see that affiliation, or connectedness, is God’s design.

We were made for each other, so the hardest decisions include subverting one’s own interests for the interests of others.

The reward that comes back is…

• love
• empathy
• fulfillment
• encouragement

Solomon reminds us how much we need each other.

“But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”
— Ecc 4:10

Prioritize connectedness in all your choices and watch your purpose flourish.

3. Choose Responsibility

God did not bring humankind into this world as robots.

But when we act like robots and don’t take ownership of our choices, we blame others for our program.

The happiest, most fulfilled folks in the world are those who accept, own, and move on after their decisions, good or bad.

“Own your part of your job, your marriage, your dating life, your spiritual life, and your health. If someone is driving you crazy and trying to control you, own that you are allowing things that aren’t good for you.”
— Dr. John Townsend, The Entitlement Cure, p. 60

Responsibility acts with courage and avoids collisions with pride.

Take ownership of your faults, and you can transform them.

4. The Rewards of Uncommon Success

We can ignore them. But making them may put us on the path to uncommon success.

Humility, connectedness, and ownership lead to uncommon success.

• A path for making plans with God’s direction
• High-quality relationships
• A crisis-survival kit
• Meaningful work
• Spiritual growth

What rewards have you reaped along the hardest path to success?

Stories like this are part of the reflections I write about life, resilience, and purpose, which you can explore on my About Stephen Blaising page.