Curious about Consequences - Do You or Don’t You Consider Them?

“I believe that we are solely responsible for our choices, and we have to accept the consequences of every deed, word, and thought throughout our lifetime.” - Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

“Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think there are no little things.” - Bruce Barton

Ah yes! I would say that it was close to unanimous when I looked up the word “consequences” that great minds from back in A.D. up through today agree that we have the freedom to make choices. These choices will inevitably create consequences - some good, some bad, some big and some small.

Why then, do so many of us make the poor decisions we make? I agree with Grace Jones who wrote, “Everyone has to make their own decisions. I still believe in that. You just have to be able to accept the consequences without complaining.”

If you have read other articles I have written, you probably realize by now that I strongly feel that we are in charge of our lives, our mindsets, our decisions, our actions and how we approach everything that happens. We can’t control what is outside of us - or can we? - but we can control how we react to and/or handle misfortune and failure:

• “Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.” - William James
• “Forget about the consequences of failure. Failure is only a temporary change in direction to set you straight for your next success.” - Denis Waitley
• “Look at misfortune the same way you look at success - Don't Panic! Do you best and forget the consequences.” Walt Alston
• “Underlying all this is the reality that the line between success and failure is wafer-thin, but the consequences are gargantuan.” - Peter Bart
• “I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot... when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result.” - Michael Jordan

There are those today who advise us to express our anger. I have never felt that this worked well for me. Basically, I make the choice not to let attitudes or others’ actions make me angry. I found quotations dealing with the consequences of being angry (both mentioned are from centuries ago):

• “When anger rises, think of the consequences.” - Confucius
• “How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.” - Marcus Aurelius

The following quotations were either thought provoking and/or so interestingly written, I have decided to share them with you:

• “It is ironic that in the same year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the discovery of DNA, some would have us ban certain forms of DNA medical research. Restricting medical research has very real human consequences, measured in loss of life and tremendous suffering for patients and their families.” - Michael J. Fox
• “Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences.” - Robert Louis Stevenson
• “However great an evil immorality may be, we must not forget that it is not without its beneficial consequences. It is only through extremes that men can arrive at the middle path of wisdom and virtue.” - Wilhelm von Humboldt
• “Consequences are unpitying.” - George Eliot
• “Where do consequences lead? Depends on the escort.” - Stanislaw Lem
• “You can do anything in this world if you are prepared to take the consequences.” - W. Somerset Maugham
• “The medium is the message. This is merely to say that the personal and social consequences of any medium - that is, of any extension of ourselves - result from the new scale that is introduced into our affairs by each extension of ourselves, or by any new technology.” - Marshall Mcluhan

That’s it for consequences. This past week, I read an article about blogging, and the author suggested that the minimum number of times we should post to our blog is twice a week. Right now, I have been posting a longer article every weekend. I now plan to post a short tip on Wednesdays or Thursdays. Hope you visit then, too!