4 - -The Portland Observer October 10, 1990
p-,1
HERS O PIN IO N
Learning to Live With The Choices You Make
B Y C .M , BROOKS
H
ave you ever taken a moment to
seriously consider the choices
and the ram ifications o f those
m ade thus far in your lifetime? For some,
I im agine, the choices se­
lected w ere w ell-calcu-
________
lated, life-beginning de­
cisions that characterize
w ho they are today and
w hat they are doing with
their lives now. Overall,
they have minimal regrets
and are able to sm ile at a
w ell-chosen path. For
most, however, choices ar­
rived at would make even
the m ost fearless tremble!
The m ind, as we all
know , is an incredible
invention. If properly nourished, exer­
cised, and developed, it is capable o f
achieving intellectual feats o f wonder.
W hy then, if this is a true and accurate
statem ent, do so many individuals make
poor choices in life? W hy are they inef­
fective decision-m akers?
T here are several reason that ex­
plain why some people make poor choices
in their lives, but I have an answ er that is
relevant, tim ely, an applicable to many
o f us. The focus is primarily o the envi­
ronment in which we make those som e­
times faulty decisions or choices. The
environm ent is very important in terms
o f the out come o f choice. For example,
choices
a complex environm ent produces pres­
sures like too little time, deadlines, and
Society pressures play a role in one’s
inability to make wise decisions. The
ability o f the majority to influence the
minority can cause certain realities to
become twisted and unclear. How many
times have you made a decision based on
what the larger group
--------------
wanted even when it
devalued your morals or
conflicted with your per­
sonal views? This is called
‘Group T hink’ and it can
cause you to not only
question your beliefs but
it will cause you to “ go
along with the m ajority.”
W hat good is the
Pow er o f Choice if you
are not capable o f mak­
ing a sensible selection?
Eliminate outside influ­
ences, make time for yourself, go through
the selection process steps carefully.
Define the problem, look at the conse­
quences, check out the alternatives, gather
more information if needed, and then
make your choice.
Remember this is your life and ev­
ery choice you make will have some
bearing on your future. Look back and
smile. Look forward with optimism. It’s
your choice.
The mind, as we all know, is an
incredible invention. If properly
nourished, exercised, and
developed, it is capable of
achieving intellectual feats of
wonder.
diversions. Com bine these with the over­
abundance of information floating around
in the world and you will without a
doubt, make a hasty and shallow deci­
sion.
W e all live with stress in our busy
lives, but stress can add to poor decision
making as well. Stress has a way o f de­
creasing one’s attention which is needed
in making a decision and processing
vital information. The outcome is usu­
ally and unfortunately, a snap decision.
Attitudes of the American public toward Medicare funding.
SUBSTANTIAL CUTS
IN MEDICARE TO
REDUCE FEDERAL DEFICIT
INCREASE MEDICARE
FUNDING
•Three in four want greater
federal spending on Medicare.
•Seven in ten prefer increased
taxes to reduced spending for this
program.
•Only one percent of the Ameri­
can public views Medicare cuts as
an excellent way to decrease the
deficit.
Portland Observer Salutes
Laverne Davis Principle
Martin Luther King
Elementary School
lbs. So, why docs lie show up weighing
375 lbs? Why does he complain about
the $75,000 in fines or incentives he
«...WE ARE FACED THROUGH­
loses for showing up overweight?
OUT OUR LIVES WITH AGONIZ­
Judy is an alcoholic with chronic
ING DECISIONS, MORAL
liver damage. Her doctor tells her to stop
CHOICES. SOME CHOICES ARE
ON A GRAND SCALE, BUT MOST drinking or face the high risk o f dying.
She continues to drink heavily and dies.
ARE LESSER ONES. BUT, WE
Judy’s family and friends are shocked.
DEFINE OURSELVES BY THE
Why didn’t she stop or did she really care
CHOICES WE HAVE MADE. WE
whether she died or not? No one made
ARE, IN A SENSE, THE SUM TO­
TAL OF THE CHOICES WE HAVE the youngster mentioned above sell drugs.
No one made W illiam Perry overeat. No
MADE...”
one made Judy drink or force alcohol
PROFESSOR LEVY/WOODY ALLEN
CRIMES & MISDEMEANORS 1989
down her throat. Each one o f these indi­
viduals made choices and paid the price
As the quote suggests, we are con­ for their actions. People need to become
stantly faced with difficult choices better m anagers o f their lives, careers,
throughout our lives and we as human time, money, and a host o f other things.
beings have the power o f free will to
Scholars have learned that the human
make good or bad choices. So, if people brain functions along the same lines as a
have the pow er to make positive choices, com puter and it, the brain, acts on the
then why do they still continue to smoke, information or programming it receives.
waste money, use drugs, get depressed Some o f this programming is genetic,
when it’s not necessary, not study for but m ost o f the programming is acquired
class, accept bad jobs, procrastinate, as people move through life. In the case
engage in dysfunctional relationships, o f the youngster from Los A ngeles, did
com m it criminal acts, lie, abuse alcohol, the fact that he lived in poverty, watch
eat too much, think irrationally, or a others in his family abuse or sell drugs,
million other elements that we know are or peer pressure enhance his decision to
wrong or do not promote positive per­ peddle drugs? Did he see this as the only
sonal growth?
way out o f the ghetto? W ould he have
In many regards, people make choices been a different person had he grown up
that are directly related to their values, in a nice, educated, and supportive fam ­
morals, or upbringing/conditioning ily? Chances are he might have ended up
mentally. For example: A Los Angeles a more positive/productive life or had
ghetto youth sells an ounce of crack more positive choices, but he still could
cocaine to an undercover FBI Agent and have ended up doing the same thing. No
is later arrested with marked money. Did one is immuned to making terrible choices
he know right from wrong? Did he know in life.In fact, bad choices will alw ays be
that distribution o f controlled substances made by people and hopefully the good
was against the law? Did he really care? will outw eigh the bad.
Now, what can be suggested to help
W illiam "The Fridge" Perry is a profes­
sional football player for the Chicago people realize that they are the ones
Bears. He has a weight clause in his responsible for their life choices.? At
contract. The clause states that he should some point people have to stop blaming
report to training cam p no less than 320 their environm ent, families, education,
race, others, or society in general for
their actions and choices made. People
can change what is wrong or perceived
as wrong in their life by making rational
and correct choices. Again, people know
right from wrong. Sometimes, it takes
adversity to make people realize that the
choices they made are incorrect or
wrong.Others even know that their choices
are wrong and still do not make proper
changes. A cycle o f bad choices can lead
a person to self-destruction. If you would
like to know what your choices have
been, take a long hard look at yourself
and the life you have lived. W hat you
will see is the choices you have made.
People have control o f their atti­
tude, their ego, who they chose as friends,
how they spend their money, their pro­
ductivity as workers, their money, how
much they exercise, their goals, their
ability to learn from their m istakes, their
education, their giving to others, choos­
ing the right mate, and the way they feel
about themselves. It’s all a m atter of
making the right choice. Unfortunately,
people are making bad choices and they
d o n ’t even realize it. Some o f these
unconscious choices can kill. People need
to be more conscious and figure out what
they want from life, where they w ant to
go, and how they want to get there.
Either way, good or bad, they have to
make some type o f choice to get where
they desire or a choice not to be produc­
tive as a citizen o f the earth.
Learning what to choose, and how
to choose, may be the most important
education a person will ever receive.
Manage your choices and you manage
your life.
BY: ULLYSSES TUCKER^ JR.
Saudi Arabia As
Seen In America
The folklore and festivals of Saudi
Arabia were featured at a fantastic
exhibition held at various cities
throughout the United States d u r­
ing 1989 and 1990.
Artifacts from an ancient land,
the life of a desert nomad, hand­
crafted pottery, textiles, m ats and
sandals, beautiful brass, falconry,
camel races and colorful folk
dancers with bandoliers and sabres
were ju st a few of the delightful
sights enjoyed by thousands of
Americans who viewed the Saudi
Arabia Yesterday and Today cul­
tu ral exhibition tour. Also fea­
tured were detailed models of the
minarets of magnificent mosques,
the doors of the Kaabah— Islam ’s
holiest place—covered with gold and
silver. Visitors got to see how old
and new complement each other in
Arabia and how centuries-old val­
ues and traditions undergird a
society prepared for the high-tech
challenges of the 21st century. More
views of this splendid show and the
country it came from are available
in free brochures. For copies write:
The Hannaford Company, P.O.
Box 25192, Washington, D.C.
20007.
Next Week: HIS/HER will address
the topic o f dating on the job or spending
time with someone you worked with.
Comments and suggestion o f topics are
encouraged.
PRESENTATION OF THE STATUE OF THE OBA
OF BENIN TO GOVERNOR GOLDSCHMIDT
STATE CAPITOL, SALEM OREGON
Gov. Goldschmidt, Angala Uba, M.D., Nyong Etuk, President of Nigenan
Professionals of Oregon
Support our Advertisers—
SAY YOU SAW IT IN
THE PORTLAND Oft SERVER
Wigland
One of the Northwest Largest Wig Displays
Wigs and Hairpieses For all Nationalities
A Laverne Davis and students
Major Threat To
Veteran Entitlements
txgic. dceijid:
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$6.00 and under
2716 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
288-0878
Attention veterans: Many of your
entitlem ents could be taken away
unless action is taken now, reports
the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
For example, a recent report from
the General Accounting Office iGAO)
found th at large numbers of veter­
ans receive compensation for dis­
eases that arose in m ilitary service,
but were neither caused nor aggra­
vated by that service. The GAO
report suggested that “Congress may
wish to reconsider w hether these
diseases should be compensated as
service connected disabilities.”
The VFW believes firmly th at
the diseases to which the GAO report
alludes are unavoidably the result
of such conditions and will con­
tinue to fight to protect veteran
entitlem ents in Washington. For
free brochures about becoming a
member of VFW. write: Veterans of
Foreign Wars, National H eadquar­
ters, Broadway a t 34th St., Kansas
City. MO 641 il.
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