Making good decisions...the Ignatian way - heart & head
One issue that really preoccupies people is the making of choices...choosing between two good options...will I move house or not? Will I take this job or not? Even will I marry this person or not? Most of us struggle along usually relying only on our heart or our head...usually meaning that our decisions are often not the best for us. Ignatius of Loyola (who founded the Jesuit order) devised a very clear method for making decisions...
I used this method when I was trying to decide whether I would move out of Dublin
He recommends..
- Get really clear about your question...spend time thinking about it and discussing it..make sure you get the answer to the right question...for example in my case the question boiled down to..did I want to stay in Dublin or move to Galway?
- Stay open about the possibilities...don't assume your initial preference is the best decision..
- Ask for help from God/Source/The Universe/your higher self...whatever name you want to give to the higher power...to make the best decision
- For each choice, make a pro and con list...get it all down on paper...no matter how small or trivial..Some questions to consider: What will be gained/lost by each choice? benefits to others? what excites you? what would you dislike if you chose one path over another...
- Look at your lists and see where reason seems to lie (could I point out here that when I did this exercise about moving to Galway...that reason was STRONGLY on the side of staying in Dublin..but I found a greater sense of peace in choosing Galway...and that was the right decision)
- He also suggests using imagination to "try on" a decision. How would you advise someone who came to you? What choice would you have liked to have made...when you are reflecting on your deathbed? use your body as you imagine yourself in each of the options you have chosen...
You can read more about it here: http://www.episcopal-dwtx.org/spiritlife/disc-ignatian.htm
Happy decision making
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